74 LECTURE III. 



siderable size and of very singular aspect, mea- 

 suring from six to seven feet in length, from the 

 tip of the snout to that of the tail; the body is of 

 a lengthened form, with a small head, long snout, 

 and very long hairy tail. The colour of the 

 animal is a deep iron-grey, with a broad black 

 band or stripe, edged with white, passing along 

 each side of the breast and flanks ; the tail is also 

 black: on the fore-feet are four claws, and on 

 the hind-feet five: the two middle claws of the 

 fore-feet being extremely strong ; a circumstance 

 which renders this quadruped, though destitute of 

 teeth, a very formidable adversary, since it has 

 been known to destroy animals of much greater 

 apparent strength, by continued laceration and 

 pressure. It is a native of South America ^ chiefly 

 of Brasil and Guiana; sleeping during the greatest 

 part of the day, and coming out by night. It 

 feeds entirely on ants and other insects, laying its 

 tongue on the hillocs or nests of these insects, and 

 from time to time retracting it, in order to swallow 

 the ants with which it is covered. The finest 

 specimen of this animal perhaps ever brought into 

 P^urope, is preserved in the Leverian Museum. 

 The smallest species of Ant-Eater is a highly 



