628 



THE ARMADILLO. 



'F.Man.j j,entadactyla 



THE manis affords a curious example of scale-armor formed by nature, and a still more 

 singular instance of natural plate-armor is found in the following little group of animals. 



The ARMADILLOS are inhabitants of Central and Southern America, and are tolerably 

 common throughout the whole of the land in which they live. The general structure of the 

 armor is similar in all the species, and consists of three large plates of horny covering ; one 

 being placed on the head, another on the shoulders, and the third on the hind quarters. These 

 plates are connected by a series of bony rings, variable in number, overlapping each other, 

 and permitting the animal to move freely. Each plate and band is composed of a number of 



ARMADILLO. Ddsypw eexcinctue. 



small plates, joined together, and forming patterns which differ in the various species. The 

 whole of the animal, even to the long and tapering tail, is covered with these horny scales, 

 with the exception of the upper part of the legs, which are concealed under the armor of the 

 body, and need no other protection. At and soon after birth, the infant Armadillo is quite 

 soft, like parchment, but the skin is marked in a similar manner to that of the adult animal, 

 excepting that the hairs that protrude between the shelly plates are more numerous. 



The common ARMADILLO, or POYOTT, is about twenty inches in total length, the tail occu- 

 pying some six or seven inches. It is very common in Paraguay, but is not easily captured, 

 owing to its remarkable agility, perseverance, and wariness. Encumbered as it appears to be 



