174 Habits of the Ant-eater of the Cape. 



legs, supported by the tail, like the Cape Redistes or jerboa, 

 a large hole at the base of the anthill, and, no doubt, when 

 made sufficiently large, they lie down and thrust their nose 

 in, which is protected from stinging by its velvety hair, 

 when they ascertain the neighbourhood of their game. They 

 then protrude their long, tapering tongue, well covered with 

 secretions through their toothless gums, which, when well 

 covered with ants, is retracted, and the burden disposed of 

 in the mouth for mastication. The mouth is abundantly 

 supplied with mucous glands under its covering membrane, 

 and the sublingual glands are large and open, with many se- 

 cretory ducts, to pour out an abundant lubricating secretion. 

 From the want of both incisor and canine teeth, the bite of the 

 animal is harmless, and besides, the orifice of the mouth is not 

 much larger than suffices for a tongue-load of ants. By means 

 of the flat grinders on each side, this minute kind of scaly food 

 is ground into paste, and made fit for digestion. In exca- 

 vating its habitation, no doubt, the very great muscular 

 power of its hinder extremities come into action, and shovel- 

 ling away, like a spade, the earth loosened by the fore- 

 feet, the two extremities act the part of a pick and lever. 

 From its beautiful buck-like ears, one would suppose its 

 sense of hearing was exquisite, and perhaps of much more 

 use to the animal than its small, laterally-directed eyes, 

 especially for its nocturnal and subterranean habits of life. 

 Its hide is as thick as that of an ox, impenetrable, no doubt, 

 to all attacks from insects, and has much the appearance of 

 a pigs skin, but thicker, and has the same intimate con- 

 nection with the underlying muscular structure as in the 

 latter animal, so that the natives, when they slaughter the 

 Aardvark for food, cut it up into pieces with the skin on, as 

 we do pork. 



Dimensions of the Female killed near Fort Brown, whose 

 oval dissection is above given. — Length, 5 feet 4 inches from 

 the nose to the tail end ; nose to the root of the ear, 11 in. ; 

 ear to the wrist or carpus, 14£ in. ; ankle (tarsus) to the 

 protuberance of the hip-joint, 15 in. ; length of the tail, 18J 

 in. ; leg, from the ankle to the spine, over the protuberance 

 of the trochanter, 21 in. ; arm, from the wrist over the shoul- 



