LIFE ON A MOUNTAIN FARM. 91 



ant-eater. Indeed, more than one part of the road 

 itself has been occupied by the cavernous excavation 

 of one of these singular creatures. The aard-vark 

 never appears, except by the merest chance, in the 

 day time, but at night, when the moon is up, you 

 may sometimes, if you gang warily, happen upon 

 him as he demolishes the tall ant-hills, and with 

 long slimy tongue obtains his succulent supply of 

 food. It has often puzzled me to understand how 

 the aard-vark can live, as he undoubtedly does, for 

 hours together — if pursued — completely shut off 

 from the outer atmosphere. How does he breathe, 

 — how sustain life ? I once with some of our party 

 essayed to dig out an ant-eater, but after labouring 

 for an hour and a quarter on a hot morning, we 

 retired vanquished. The beast, with his wonderful 

 claws and legs, digs far faster than the human 

 delver. He will actually, if surprised, put himself 

 underground, while he is being approached, unless, 

 as very rarely happens, he is completely taken 

 unawares. Our Kaffir hunter, Igneese, brought us 

 in a dead aard-vark, which he had circumvented 

 and killed with a blow or two on the snout from 

 his knobkerrie. Cavernous as are the entrances 

 to their holes, they rapidly taper down and twist 

 off at right angles, and it would certainly puzzle 

 the most assiduous digger that ever ferreted an 

 English hedgerow, to reach the Cape ant-eater in 

 its earthy dwelling, even though he laboured from 

 morn till eve of a long summer's day. I only knew 

 of one instance of a successful digging out. This 

 feat was accomplished many years ago by my late 

 friend, Mr. J. B. Evans, on his first arrival in the 

 Colony. In all his undertakings, this gentleman 



