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 
thumbs 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 Linna?an character 
of Myrecophaga is, in part, rendered inapplicable. 
Since, therefore, the genera of Manis and Myr- 
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 
