34 Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 



The fourth species with which I am acquainted is the Dasypus 

 Peba, Pesm. with from seven to nine bands. It is the most common 

 in Guiana, and found as well at the coast region as in the interior. 

 Its length is about 18 inches, and the tail is as much more. The 

 head, back, and tail is covered with scaly armour like its congeners. 

 The belly, under part of the head and throat, legs and thighs, are 

 covered with a whitish skin, set with a few scattered hairs. The 

 claws are strong, and these animals can dig with so much ease that 

 there is little hope of taking them without great exertions by dig- 

 ging after them*. They bear eight or nine young at a time, which 

 follow the mother like young pigs. The young are blind at their 

 birth. 



The principal feeding time is in the night, but they go sometimes 

 abroad in the day. Their food consists generally of worms and in- 

 sects. In a tame state they readily eat farinaceous food and also 

 roots. They are called by the Arawaaks Iassi, which is the general 

 name of the Armadillo. 



The Savannah Armadillo is Desmarest's Dasypus villosus ; and, as 

 we were assured by the Indians, it inhabits only the plains, and is 

 never to be met with in the forest. The Indians accuse it of feed- 

 ing occasionally on carrionf. It is distinguished by its being more 

 flat in shape than the others, and by the numerous hairs which cover 

 as well the shell as the body. 



Among my collection is a specimen of the Dasypus tatouay of 

 Desmarest, which was procured at the coast regions at Demerara. 

 Its claws, of which there are five on the fore feet, are very large in 

 proportion. It has from 12 to 13 moveable bands; the tail is round, 

 short, and covered with a few tubercles. Its ears are large and erect. 

 The head resembles D. Peba, 



The Iassi Baracatta of the Arawaaks is the smallest Armadillo in 

 Guiana {Dasypus minutus, Desm.); its body is about 10 inches, and 

 covered with numerous brown hairs. Its geographical distribution 

 extends over the southern half of South America. 



* Mr. Waterton, in his amusing Wanderings, p. 166, tells us " that the 

 Indian, to prevent disappointment when discovering a hole where he sup- 

 poses an Armadillo to have taken up its abode, carefully examines the mouth 

 of the hole, and puts a short stick down it. Now if on introducing the 

 stick a number of musquitos come out, the Indians know to a certainty that 

 the Armadillo is in it ; wherever there are no musquitos in the hole, there 

 is no Armadillo." 



f The Indians on the Rio Branco gave us the same information, and at 

 their dances they sing to that effect, that when once dead their relations 

 should only throw them on the savannahs, where the Armadillo would bury 

 them. 



