The Ant-eater. 
167 
strange creature, found in Hispania Nova, neare the river Alvaradus, 
being not greater then a cat, having the bil or snowt of a mallard, the 
feet of an hedge-hog, and a very long necke. It is covered al over 
with a shell like the trappinges of a horse, divided as in a lobster and 
not continued as in an oyster; and so covered therewith, that neither 
the necke nor the head appeare plainely, but onely the eares; and the 
Spaniards for this cause call it armato and contaxto: there be some doe 
affirme that it hath a voice like swine, but the feet thereof are not 
indeed so cloven that they remaine unequal, but are like to a horses, 
I meane the several cloves, there are of these as I have hearde to be 
seene in gardens in London, which are kept to destroy the garden 
wormes.” (Page 706.) 
The former animal is possibly the Peba armadillo (Tatusia 
peba), a species of armadillo found throughout Central 
and South America. 
A Portuguese resident in Brazil, gives a description 
of the Ant-eater, or Ant-bear, which, though 
i t • « . i Ant-eater. 
somewhat grotesque m its wording, is iairly 
correct. 
“ The tamandua,” he says, “ is of notable admiration, it is of the 
bignesse of a great dog, more round then long, and the tayle is twice 
or thrice as long as the bodie, and so full of haire, that from the heate, 
raine, cold and winde, hee harboureth himselfe all under it, that yee 
can see nothing of him. The head is small, and hath a thinne snout, 
no greater mouth then an oyle craze, round and not open, the tongue 
is of three quarters long, and with it he licketh up the ants, whereon 
he onely feeds; he is diligent in seeking of the ant-heapes, and with 
the clawes hee breaketh them, and casting out his tongue the ants 
stick to it, and so he drawes them in, having no more mouth then 
to hold his tongue full of them; it is of a great fiercenesse, and 
doth assault many people and beasts. The ounces doe feare them and 
the dogs exceedingly, and whatsoever they catch, they teare with their 
clawes ; they are not eaten, neither are they good for any thing but to 
destroy the ant-heapes; and they are so many that they will never 
be destroyed altogether.” ( Purchas , vol. iv. p. 1301.) 
The ant-eater, though provided with powerful claws, and 
a formidable antagonist when roused, does not attack either 
man or beast unprovoked. This animal is called by other 
travellers the baremoe. 
