©MAT ANT-EATEJi.* 93 
have a patch of black in fronts not much abov** 
the foot ; the tail is black, extremely long, and 
bushy ; the hair on the whole body, but especially 
on the tail, is very harsh and coarse ; there are 
four toes on the fore feet, and five on the hind ; 
the two middle claws on the fore feet are extremely 
large and strong ; which render this creature* 
though destitute of teeth, a very formidable ad- 
versary. 
It may well be supposed that an animal so help- 
less as the ant-eater is, with legs too short to lit 
it for flight, and unprovided with teeth, to give 
it a power of resistance, is neither numerous,, nor 
often seen ; its retreats are in the most barren and 
uncultivated part of South America. It is a na- 
tive only of the new continent, and entirely un- 
known to the old. It lives chiefly in the woods* 
and hides itself under the fallen leaves. It seldom 
ventures from its retreat, and the industry of an 
hour supplies it with sufficient food for several 
days together. Its manner of procuring its prey, 
is one of the most singular in all natural history ; 
as its name implies, it lives entirely upon ants and 
insects ; these, in the countries where it is bred, 
are found in the greatest abundance, and often 
build themselves hills, five or six feet high, where 5 
they live in community. When this animal ap- 
proaches an ant-hill, it creeps slowly forward on 
its belly, taking every precaution to keep itself 
concealed, till it comes within a proper distance 
of the place where it intends to make its banquet ; 
there lying closely along at its length, it thrusts 
fortli its round red tongue, which is often two 
feet long, across the path of these busy insects, 
and there lets it lie motionless for several minutes 
together. The ants of that country, some of 
which are half an inch long, considering it as a 
piece of flesh accidentally thrown before them. 
