. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE GREAT AM-HEAU. live upon insects, they are capable of sustaining a total deprivation of nonrishment for an incredible ; The Great Aiit-Bear is found in all the warm and tropical parts of South America, from Colomljia to Paraguay, and from the shores of the Atlantic to the foot of the Andes. His favourite resorts are the low, swampy savannahs, along the banks of rivers and stagnant ponds. He is found also frequenting the humid forests, bxit never climbing trees, as falsely reported by Buffon, on the
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE GREAT AM-HEAU. live upon insects, they are capable of sustaining a total deprivation of nonrishment for an incredible ; The Great Aiit-Bear is found in all the warm and tropical parts of South America, from Colomljia to Paraguay, and from the shores of the Atlantic to the foot of the Andes. His favourite resorts are the low, swampy savannahs, along the banks of rivers and stagnant ponds. He is found also frequenting the humid forests, bxit never climbing trees, as falsely reported by Buffon, on the authority of La Borde. His pace is slow, heavy, and hesitating ; his head is carried low, as if he smelled the ground at every step, whilst his long, shaggy tail, drooping behind him, sweeps the ground on each side, and readily indicates his path to the hunter; though, when hard pressed, he increases his pace to a slow gallop, yet his greatest velocity never half equals the oi'dinary run- ning of a man. So gi-eat is his stupidity, that those who encounter him in the woods or plains may drive him before them by mei-ely pushing him with a stick, so long, at least, as he is not compelled to proceed beyond a moderate gallop; but if pressed too hard, or urged to .extremity, he turns obstinate, sits up on his hind quarters like a Bear, and defends himself with his powerful claws. Like that animal, his usual, and indeed only, mode of assault is by seizing his adversary with his fore paws, wrapping his arms round him, and endeavouring by this means to squeeze him to death. His great strength and powerful muscles would easily enable him to accomplish his purpose in this respect, even against the largest animals of his native forests, were it but guided by ordinary intelligence, or accompanied with a common degree of activity. But in these qualities there are few animals, indeed, which do not .gi-eatly surpass the Ant-Bear, so that the diflerent down by writers on natural
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