MAMMALIA. BRUTA.- Ant-eater. 105 



the tail is prehenfile. Where two fuch great naturalils differ fo very materially, I do not pretend 

 to afcertain which is right ; but it fcems probable that thefe are two diftinct fpecies ; and, if fo, that 

 the fpecies defcribed by Buffon fhould be called the Myrtmcophaga monodaHyla : Perhaps his figure 

 might be taken from a mutilated dry fkin. — T. 



141 2. Three-toed Ant-eater. — 2. Myrmtcophaga tiidaclyla. 2. 



Has three toes on the fore, and five on the hind feet ; and a bufhy tail. 



Three-toed ant-eater, with a very long fnout, having three toes before and five behind, and long 

 flaccid ears. Brill", quad. 27. — Tamandua-guacu. Seba, Muf. i. 60. t. 37. f. 2. 



Inhabits India. — Travels very flowly ; climbs trees ; defends itfelf with its broad tail againft 

 flies, ufing it as a fly-flap ; has two paps on the breaft and fix on the belly ; the back has a longi- 

 tudinal mane, and there is a black ftripe on each fide ; the tail is flat, and covered with long hairs, 

 which are black on the under fide and white at the top. Dr Gmelin is uncertain if this be a diftinct 

 fpecies ? 



142 3. Great Ant-eater. — 3. Myrmecophoga jubata. 3. 



Has four toes before, and five behind ; the tail covered with flowing hairs. Schreber, ii. 

 203. tab. lxvii. 



Four-toed ant-eater, with a very long fnout, having four toes before, and five behind, and the 

 tail covered with very long hairs. Briff. quad. 24. — Tamandua-guacu. Marcgr. Braf. 225. — Tamanoir. 

 Sm. Buff. v. 333. pi. cxlvii. — Great ant-eater. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 369. 



Inhabits South America, and the kingdom of Congo in Africa. — This animal covers itfelf with the 

 tail when afleep, and to guard againft rain ; it has a black ftripe on the fide and breaft ; the tail is 

 very thickly covered with long hair, and the hairs are not round but flat. The flefli of this animal 

 is eaten by the natives of America. 



From the end of the muzzle to the origin of the tail, it is about four feet long ; the head is about 

 fifteen inches, and the tail about two feet and a half \ this laft being covered with coarfe hair above 

 twelve inches long ; the muzzle is immoderately long, the neck fhort, the head narrow, the eyes 

 fmall and black, the ears roundifh, the tongue thin, above two feet long, and, when not ftretched 

 out, is folded up in the mouth ; the legs are about a foot long ; thofe before are a little longer and 

 thinner than the hind legs ; the feet are round, having four claws before, the two middle ones being 

 longeft, and five fhort claws behind : The hair on the body and tail is mixed black and white ; the 

 hair on the tail is difpofed like a feather, and the animal, when he wants to defend himfelf from 

 rain, or the heat of the fun, turns it on his back, and covers his whole body ; there is a black ftripe 

 on the breaft, which ftretches along the fides, and terminates on the back near the thighs ; the hind 

 legs are nearly black, and thofe before are almoft white, with a black fpot about the middle. 



t A« /£. Short-nofed Great Ant-eater. — Myrm. jubata ftma. 



This animal, which was fent from Guinea to the Count de Buffon, has a fhorter muzzle than the 

 former ; the diftance between the eye and ear is lefs, and the legs are fhorter ; the claws are fimilar : 

 The muzzle, to the ears, is covered with fliort brown hairs; about the ears the hairs begin to grow 



Vol. I.. O, longer: 



