MAN 
l^ptile clafs, Thefe animals not being very- 
numerous, it is imagined tlieir fecundity is very 
confined. 
Manis, Short-Tailed ; the Manis Pentadac- 
Cyla of LinnjEus, and the Pangolin of BufFon. 
This animal, which is a native of the torrid cli- 
mates of the ancient continent, is of all others the 
beft protefted by nature from external injury. The 
body is three feet long; and the tail is about the 
fame length. Like the lizard, it has a fmall head, 
but no teeth; a long nofe, a thick neck, a long 
, body and tail, fliort legs, five toes on each foot, and 
ears refembling thofe of the human fpecies. But 
the principal diftinftion of this animal is the fcaly 
covering which defends it in all parts, except un- 
der the fhoulders, the lower part of the head and 
neck, the breaft, the belly, and the inner fide of 
the legs 5 thefe being covered with a fmooth foft 
{kin. At all the interftices between the fhells of 
this extraordinary creature ftrong briftly hairs are 
perceptible, yellowifh towards their roots, and 
brown at their extremities. The fcales are of 
different fizes, and appear as if ftuck on the body 
fomewhat like the leaves of an artichoke, the 
largeft being always towards the tail : the fubftance 
of thefe fcales refembles horn; and they are exter- 
nally convex, and internally concave. 
After the Manis has acquired it's full growth, 
it is faid that thefe fcales will refill a mudcet-ball: 
it has therefore nothing to apprehend from the ef- 
forts of any creature but man. On any approach- 
ing danger, it rolls itfelf up, like the hedge-hog, 
prefenting nothing to the affailant but the fliarp 
edges of it's fcales. The length of the tail, which 
might be thought eafily feparable, increafes the 
creature's fecurity, by being wrapped round the 
reft of it's body. The fhells are fo thick and 
pointed, that they repel every animal of prey; 
ferving as a coat of armour, that wounds while it 
refifts. In vain do the tiger, the leopard, the 
panther, and the hysna, attempt to force it; in 
vain they tread it under foot, and roll it about 
with their paws; the Manis remains perfeftly fe- 
cure within, while it's invaders fuiFer for their te- 
merity. Man alone feems furnilhed with arms to 
compel it to furrender: and accordingly the ne- 
groes, who confider it's flefh as a very great deli- 
cacy, beat it to death with very large clubs. 
But though formidable in it's appearance, there 
cannot be a more inofFenfive animal than the Ma- 
nis or Pangolin. Were it difpofed to injure 
larger animals, nature has rendered it incapable, 
by denying it teeth : the bony matter which fup- 
plies the teeth of other animals, is probably ex- 
haufted in this, in fupplying the fcales that cover 
it's body; but as it fubfifts entirely on infecfls, na- 
ture has fitted it for that purpofe in a very extra- 
ordinary manner. Having a long nofe, it may 
naturally be fuppofed to have along tongue alfo; 
but, in order to add to it's length, it is doubled in 
it's mouth, which enables the animal to extend it 
many inches beyond the tip of the nofe: this 
tongue is round, very red, and covered with an 
unftuous liquor, which gives it a fhining hue. As 
ants are the infefts on which the Manis chiefly 
feeds, when it approaches an ant-hill, it lies down 
near it, concealing it's retreat as much as polTi- 
ble; and, ftretching out it's long tongue among 
the ants, keeps it for fome time motionlefs. Thefe 
infefts, allured by the flimy fubftance with which 
it is fmeared, immediately flock to it in great 
numbers; and when the Manis fuppofes it has 
MAR 
got a fufficiency, it withdraws it's tongue, and 
fwallows myriads of them at a gulp. As all die 
force and cunning of this animal is exerted againft 
thefe noxious infe6ls, it is extraordinary that the 
negroes ftiould be fo eager to kill it; but as thefe 
favages purfue their immediate good without be- 
ing folicitous about future confequences, they 
therefore hunt this creature, for the fake of it's 
flefti, with the utmoft avidity. 
The Manis chiefly inhabits the moft obfcure 
parts of the foreft, and digs itfelf a retreat in the 
clift of fome rock, where it brings forth it's 
young. It is a folitary fpecies, and very rarely to 
be met with. It has no particular cry, butfome- 
times makes a kind of fnorting noife. 
MANONOETOC. An appelladon given by 
the natives of the Philippine Iflands to a fpecies 
of horned owl common in thofe climates. 
MANTIGER, fometimes called the Tufted 
Ape. This animal, which is very fierce and fala- 
cious, will fit on it's rump, and fupport itfelf 
with a ftick; and in this attitude will hold a cup, 
and drink out of it. The nofe and head are four- 
teen inches long, the former being of a deep red- 
colour; the face is blue, and naked; the eye-brows 
are black; and the ears refemble thofe of the hu- 
man race. The top of the head is ornamented 
with an eredl tuft of hair, and on the chin is ano- 
ther; there are two long tuflks in the upper jaw| 
the fore-feet refemble hands; the nails on the 
fingers are flat ; the thumb of the hind-feet is lefs 
perfed; and the nails are imbricated. The fore- 
part of the body, and the infide of the legs and 
arms, is naked; the outfide is covered with mot- 
tled brown and olive hair; that on the back is 
dufky; the buttocks are red and bare; and the 
length of the animal, from the nofe to the rump, 
is three feet and upwards. It fubfift's wholly on 
fruit and vegetables. 
MANTICHORA. A name given by the 
ancient Roman authors to a fierce and terrible 
creature, the knowledge of which they borrowed 
from the Greeks. We have formed the word 
Mantiger on the found of the Roman appella- 
tion, though exprefllng a very different fenfe; and 
fome of our zoologifts figure to us, under this de- 
nomination, a terrible creature, partly from the 
accounts of Pliny exaggerated, and partly from 
their own imaginations, with three rows of teeth, 
and fuch a figure as no animal ever pofl^cflTed. 
The whole hiftory of this animal feems to ori- 
ginate from the love of the wonderful ; and very 
probably the Mantichora, properly fpeaking, was 
no other than one of the larger hyasnas, which be- 
ing at firft imperfectly defcribed, fidtion was added 
to fupply the deficiency, and at laft even the flia- 
dow of truth was loft. 
MANTLE, DUCAL. A kind of fiiell. See 
Ducal Mantle. 
MANUCMANUC. A Philippine appella- 
tion for a beautiful fpecies of parrot frequently 
found wild in the woods of that country. It is 
about the fize of the common parrot, and delight- 
fully variegated with difterent colours. 
MANUCODI ATA. A name by which fome 
exprefs the birds of paradife. 
MARACANA. A Brazilian bird of the par- 
rot kind, but larger than the common fpecies. It 
is entirely covered with blueifli-coloured feathers, 
and is a very common fpecies. Marcgrave, who 
firft mentioned this bird, gives us no other de- 
fcription of it except that it is very fond of fruits. 
MARACANA 
