towards the
decayed trunk of a huge tree, and began barking violently. While we
were still at a considerable distance, a large hairy creature rose up
before us. True stood his ground bravely, rushing now on one side, now
on the other, of the animal. It had an enormous bushy tail, curled up
something like that of a squirrel, but with a great deal more hair, and
looked fully eight feet in length. As we drew nearer we saw that it had
also an extraordinary long snout. It seemed in no degree afraid of
True, and he evidently considered it a formidable antagonist. Presently
it lifted itself up on its hind legs, when True sprang back just in time
to avoid a gripe of its claws. Still the creature, undaunted by our
appearance, made at him, when, seeing that he was really in danger, John
and I rushed forward. We then discovered the creature to be a huge
ant-eater, which, though it had no teeth, was armed with formidable
claws, with which it would inevitably have killed my brave dog had it
caught him. A shot in the head from John's rifle laid it dead.

It was covered with long hair, the prevailing colour being that of dark
grey, with a broad band of black running from the neck downwards on each
side of the body. It lives entirely on ants; and on opening its mouth
we found that it could not provide itself with other food, as it was
entirely destitute of teeth. Its claws, which were long, sharp,
pointed, and trenchant, were its only implements of defence. Its hinder
claws were short and weak; but the front ones were powerful, and so
formed that anything at which it seizes can never hope to escape. The
object of its powerful crooked claws is to enable it to open the
ant-hills, on the inhabitants of which it feeds. It then draws its
long, flexible tongue, covered with a glutinous saliva, over the swarms
of insects who hurry forth to defend their dwelling.

The scientific name of this great ant-eater is _Myrmecophaga jubata_.
There are, however, several smaller ant-eaters, which are arborial--that
is, have their habitations in trees. Some are only ten inches long.
One species is clothed with a greyish-yellow silky hair; another is of a
dingy brown colour. They are somewhat similar in their habits to the
sloth; and as they are seen clinging with their claws to the trees, or
moving sluggishly along, they are easily mistaken for that animal, to
which, indeed, they are allied. Some are nocturnal, others are seen
moving ab