THE 
PORCUPINE ANT-EATER. 
Generic Character. 
Body (in moft fpecies) covered with hair. 
Snout tubular ; mouth fmall; no teeth. 
Tongue cylindric, long, extenfile. 
Specific Character. 
SPINY ANT-EATER with very fhort tail. 
This extraordinary animal may well be confidered 
amongft the moll curious and interefting* quadrupeds 
yet difcovered; fince it is not only an abfolutely new 
and hitherto unknown lpecies, but is alfo a moft ftriking 
in fiance of that beautiful gradation, fo frequently ob- 
ferved in the animal kingdom, by which creatures of 
one tribe or genus approach to thofe of- a very different 
one. It forms a connecting link between the very dif- 
tant genera of Hyftrix and Myrraecophaga ; having 
the external coating and general afpect of the one, with 
the mouth and peculiar generic charadters of the other. 
This animal, fo far as can be judged from the fpeci- 
mens hitherto obferved, is about a foot in length : the 
figure confequently reprefents it of nearly half the natu¬ 
ral fize. The whole upper parts of the body and tail 
are 
