THE ANT-BEAR— THE HONEY BADGER 229 



gave to the deceased's countenance a patient air 

 almost amounting to resignation. I suppose the 

 specimen I examined must have measured some- 

 thing over 3 feet in length, and weighed perhaps 

 70 or 80 lbs. I remember my carriers gleefully 

 despoiled the leopard of his kill, and devoured the 

 ant-bear themselves with every sign of the com- 

 pletest satisfaction. 



This curious animal, which, in spite of the 

 rareness of its appearance, must be very numerous 

 in certain parts of the country where ants aboxmd 

 — and it would be hard to mention a corner of 

 tropical Africa where they do not — nourishes itself, 

 it is beheved, entirely upon these insects, which it 

 collects upon its long, sticky tongue. I have often 

 considered it a misfortune alike to mankind and 

 to the ant-bear that the latter's incurably noc- 

 turnal habits shovdd perhaps largely stand in the 

 way of his discovering and disposing of the enor- 

 mous armies of the terrible driver ant which may 

 so frequently be seen crossing the African path, 

 and which are so severely left alone there. If the 

 ant-bear should be impervious to the driver's 

 powerful mandibles it is sad to think of the many 

 rich meals he must miss. However, it is possible, 

 and greatly to be hoped, that he may meet them 

 occasionally in the course of his midnight pere- 

 grinations, if such an encounter shoxild result in 

 the destruction of these truly awful creatures. 



Another interesting form occasionally met 

 with is the carelessly designated, so-called Honey 

 Badger. I refer to him as carelessly designated 

 because, although honey is a much appreciated 



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