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We must not forget the Toothless animals, of which the Ant-eater is the
best known. They live upon insects, chiefly white ants, which they catch by
tearing open their houses with their strong claws, and then rolling their
long tongues among them. The tongue of the ant-eater is covered with a kind
of gum, to which the ants stick, and when there is room for not one more,
the living mouthful is swallowed.
Perhaps your cousins in Australia sometimes tell you about the great
Kangaroo, or "Old man," as they call him in that part of the world. By
means of his very long and powerful hind legs, and strong tail, he can leap
great distances, so rapidly as to outstrip a greyhound. There are many
species of kangaroos, but they are all much alike, and belong to the order
of Pouched animals; so called because instead of rearing her young in a
nest which she has made for them, the mother carries them in a bag. The
little creatures at their birth are more helpless than most young animals,
and this pouch is their home for some time, and their refuge in danger,
even after they have grown beyond the need of her constant care.
Australia has no animals like those of other parts of the world, except
the dog and the bat; but only one of these pouched animals--the Opossum of
America--is not found there. This creature is very like a monkey, and the
one best known in the southern states of America is about the size of a
cat, and very mischievous--as it sleeps during the day and prowls about at
night, in search of birds, eggs, and fruit.
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