Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1899 — NEW QUADRUPED DISCOVERED. [ARTICLE]

NEW QUADRUPED DISCOVERED.

Tbngh-Skinued Animal Beaemblina an Ant-Eater Found Patagonia. In these latter days, when people are constantly hearing of the threatened extinction of various tribes of animals, the news of the discovery of an entirely new species of quadruped Is startling. The fact of the existence of a hitherto unfenown animal has been brought to light by Dr. Florentino Ameghino, who for some time past has had reports of a mysterious creature of nocturnal habits brought to him by several Indians, and a few years ago the late Rainon Lista, while hunting in the interior of Santa Cruz, was startled by the appearance of a strange animal, which he described to Dr. Ameghino “as a pangolin without scales, and covered with reddish hair.” Lista shot at the creature, but it was apparently bullet proof, for it disappeared into the brushwood, and although instant search was made no trace of the animal was to be found. As no further evidence was to be found, Dr. Ameghino was inclined to •think that the naturalist had been deceived; but he has just received a skin from Soutlf Patagonia which proves that Lista was correct in his statement. On examination the ossicles which were embedded in the skin, "like paving stones in a street,” proved that the animal evidently belonged to the pangolins or scaled ant-eaters, familiar to naturalists, but instead of being scaly It is covered with coarse, reddish gray hair, while the skin itself, which is two centimeters thick, is so remarkably tough that it can only be cut with a hatchet. This explains why the bullet had no effect upon it. —London Mail.