ACULEATED ANT-EATER. 177 



thick ; and are each furnished with five round- 

 ed, broad toes: on the fore feet are five very 

 strong, long, and blunt claws, of a black co- 

 lour: on the hind feet are only four claws; the 

 thumb, which is broader than the rest of the toes, 

 being destitute of a claw : the first claw on the 

 hind feet is extremely long, somewhat curved, 

 and sharp-pointed ; the next rather shorter, but of 

 similar appearance; the two remaining ones far 

 shorter, very slightly curved, and not sharp- 

 pointed. In its mode of life this animal resem- 

 bles the rest of the Ant-Eaters, being generally 

 found in the midst of some large ant-hill : it bur- 

 rows with great strength and celerity under 

 ground, when disturbed; its feet and legs being- 

 most excessively strong, and short, and wonder- 

 fully adapted to this purpose. It will even bur- 

 row under a pretty strong pavement, removing 

 the stones with its claws ; or under the bottom of 

 a wall. During these exertions its body is stretch- 

 ed or lengthened to an uncommon degree, and 

 appears very different from the short or plump as- 

 pect which it bears in its undisturbed state. 



It cannot escape the observation of every scien- 

 tific naturalist, that, in consequence of the disco- 

 very of this curious animal, the Linnrean character 

 of Myrecophaga is, in part, rendered inapplicable. 

 Since, therefore, the genera of Manis and Myi*- 

 mecophaga differ only in the external covering, 

 the former being coated with scales, and the latter 

 with hair, it would, perhaps, be not improper to 

 conjoin the two genera, to add this as a new spe- 



v. i. 12 



