ANTA'RES, a red star, thought by the ancients to resemble Mrs. It is a double star, and the most conspicuous object in the constellation Scorpio. A. is often of use to navigators in finding longitude.
See ANT-EATER.
and names given to birds of tropical and sub-tropical countries, which feed chiefly upon ants. They are closely allied to the thrushes (see Titnusit), and are included with them in the family turdida' or merulidcr of recent orni thologists. They are distinguished by a straight sub-cylindrical strong bill, hooked at the tip, slender legs, and very short tails. 'They form the genus myothe'ra of Illiger, now subdivided into several genera, one of which, pitta, contains the breves of Buffon—birds of brilliant plumage, natives of the south-eastern parts of Asia and the Malayan archi pelago. The true ant-catchers are mostly American, are of comparatively sober plu Ant-eater. 510 "A ntelope.
wage, live among the huge ant-hills, seldom fly, and are remarkable for their sonorous voices, the power of which in some species is extraordinary. The largest species, known as the king of Lite ant-eatehera (grallarea rex), is about the size of a quail. Its legs are remarkably long.
Myrmeeephaga, a genus of South American quadrupeds belonging to the natural order edentata. The species are few. They are perfectly toothless, their food being insects, and particularly ants, which they procure in great numbers by thrusting among them a very long cylindrical tongue, covered with a viscid saliva, and then retracting it into the mouth. The head is remarkably elongated, with a slender muzzle, and a small mouth: The tongue is doubled up in the mouth when not in use for catch ing prey. The ears and eyes are very small. The toes differ in number in the different species, but are united as far as the base of the claws, which are very large and strong, adapted to tearing up the habitations of ants. The great A.-E. (M jubata), a native of the warm parts of South America, and called in Demerara the is about ft. in length from the snout to the origin of the tail, which is more than 2 ft. long, and is cov ered with very long hair. The body is also covered with long hair, particularly along
the neck and back. There are 4 claws on each of the fore-feet, and 5 on the hind ones. The A.-E. spends much of its time in sleep, the long snout concealed in the fur of the breast, the hind and fore claws locked together, and the bushy tail thrown over all, as if for a shade from the sun. It is very unsocial in its habits, and is regarded as a very stupid animal. It has great strength m its fore-legs and claws, and is said to hug like the bear, so as to crush an enemy to death. The female produces one young one at a birth, and carries it about for some time on her back.—Another species, the tainandua (M. tarnandua), having the same number of claws, has a less elongated snout, compara tively short hair, and a prehensile tail, is scarcely so large as a cat, and climbs trees in quest of its insect food.—The little or two-toed (M. didaetyla) differs from these species not only in the number of its toes, but in other anatomical characters.—Closely allied to this genus in structure and habits is the genus mania, containing the PANGOLINS of Africa and India; but instead of hair, the body is 'covered with strong horny scales. See PANGOLIN.—The name A.E. is given at the cape of Good Hope to the oryeteropus eapen.sis, the aardvark or earth-hog of the Dutch colonists, a quad ruped of about the same size with the great A.-E. of America, belonging to the same natural order, and resembling it also in its elongated muzzle and extensile tongue, which it employs in the same way, but provided with grinding teeth and flat claws adapted for burrowing. It burrows with extraordinary facility, and it. is in this way that it seeks to secure its safety when assailed. It has very short hair, and little of it. The ears are moderately long. It is a nocturnal animal, and very timid.—The eekidnie of New Holland are sometimes called porcupine ant-eaters, from their food and their simi larity to the true ant-eaters in their sharp muzzle and extensile tongue; but they differ much in some parts of their structure. See ECHIDNA.