170 



THREE-TOED ANT-EATER. 



Myrmecophaga Tridactyla. M. palmis tridactylis, falmis tetra- 



dactylis, cauda villosa. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 5 1 . 

 Ant-Eater, with three toes on the fore feet, four on the hind 



aud villose tail. 

 Tamandua-guacu. Seb. i.p. 60. /. 37. and p. 65. /. 40./". I. 



This, which must be considered as an obscure 

 species, seems to have been first mentioned by 

 Seba, and from him adopted by Linnaeus and 

 Brisson. The figures, however, which Seba gives, 

 represent equally well the Four-toed Ant-Eater or 

 Myrmecophaga tetradactyla of Linnaeus, from 

 which they only appear to differ in having pen- 

 dulous ears, and three toes instead of four on the 

 fore feet. It, therefore, seems highly probable 

 that this supposed species may be rather a variety 

 of the M. tetradactyla than truly distinct. Lin- 

 naeus, in his slight description, mentions a lateral 

 black band, and adds, that the tail is broad and 

 villose, and that the animal carries it over its 

 back and covers itself with it: he also says that 

 the back has a longitudinal mane*. It is a na- 

 tive, according to Linnaeus, of India. 



In the Leverian Museum are two specimens of 

 the M. tetradactyla, which in general appearance 

 agree with the abovementioned figures of Seba, 

 except having the head rather smaller in propor- 

 tion, as well as the ears : yet there can be little 

 doubt of their being in reality the same species. 



* Neither this nor the black band are mentioned by Seba. 



