THE GREAT MANIS. 



like a Hog. It grows very fat ; its flelh is efteemed delicious food, and is 

 eaten by the negroes. It makes no noife, except a kind of fnorting. 

 Harmless and inofFenfive in its nature, it muns the fociety of man, and lives 

 in obfcure retreats, in woods, and damp places, where it digs itfelf a hole, in 

 the cleft of fome rock, and there brings forth its young. It is, therefore, 

 feldom met with, and paffes its time in folitary retirement, a wonderful 

 inftance of the variety of nature. 



It walks flowly, and would, unavoidably, become the prey of every 

 ravenous beaft, were it not for the impregnable coat of armour, which 

 Nature has fo bountifully beftowed on it. 



This animal inhabits the hlands of India and that of Formofa: it is alfo 

 found in Guinea, where the negroes call it Quogelo. It is very fond of 

 Ants, which it takes, like the Ant-Eater, by laying its long tongue acrofs 

 their paths, which, being covered with a fticky faliva, effectually entangles 

 whatever infects attempt to pafs over it. As foon as the Manis perceives 

 that the tongue is fufficiently loaded with food, it fuddenly withdraws it into 

 its mouth, and feafts on the delicious morfels with which it is loaded ; and 

 this procefs is repeated, till the calls of hunger are fatisfied. Tt is againft 

 thefe infects, fo noxious to the human fpecies, that their whole force and 

 cunning are exerted, and, were the negroes but fenfible of the fervices 

 this animal renders them, by deftroying one of the greateft pefts of the 

 country, they would not be fo eager to kill it. " But it is the nature of 

 favage man, to purfue immediate, apparent good, without confidering the 

 confequences." 



