Habits of the Ant-eater of the Cape. 173 



property — as in the arms of some of the Cephalopoda, the 

 tongue of the chameleon, the trunk of the elephant, &c. &c. 



Habits of the Aardvarh. — This animal, inhabiting the 

 Fish-River country, lives in immense holes, excavated by 

 their powerful, hoof-like claws, in the ground, some six or 

 ten feet below the surface. There are generally a collection 

 of holes like a warren at these places, all intercommunica- 

 ting, and situated in or about a clump of trees or bushes. 

 The calibre of these passages is so large in some as to allow 

 a man to creep into. The animal mostly comes out at night, 

 but may sometimes be seen during the day. It is planti- 

 grade on the hind feet, but digitigrade on the fore ones. The 

 fore-feet have four toes, and the hind-feet five each, armed 

 with strong hoof-like claws, very similar except in size to the 

 arrangement of those of the mole, so as to enable the animal 

 to dig and scrape away the earth sideways from them, and 

 also crosswise, the inner toes being longer than the outer 

 ones. 



• The ponderous conical tail, 18 or 20 inches long, composed 

 of bony joints, and a multitude of muscles, covered by an in- 

 tegument as thick as an ox's hide, hangs ordinarily down, 

 like that of the Cape sheep, when the animal is walking. 

 Its structure is similar to the tail of the Cape iguana or 

 large water-lizard and its use may be, in one point of view, 

 similar, viz., as an instrument of defence from attack, as 

 with it they strike dogs very forcibly that attack them. 

 When surprised, they instantly make for their holes ; but as 

 they cannot run fast, they are therefore soon caught by dogs, 

 and easily shot or assegaied. When seized by dogs by their 

 very soft ears, or by their velvety nose, they double in their 

 heads between their fore legs, and strike forwards, or kick 

 with their hind-feet, so as to make their assailants loose hold 

 and often repent their proceedings. 



They are best caught in moonlight nights, when out feed- 

 ing, either by dogs, or waiting near a suspected warren till 

 the animal returns before the break of day. They live chiefly 

 on ants, and, as there are numbers of ant-hills all over the 

 country, their food is ever at hand. They first dig away 

 with their fore-feet, partly, as it were, sitting on their hind- 



