THE WEASEL-HEADED ARMADILLO. 117 



b. Armadillos wanting incisor*. 



2. The Three-banded Armadillo ; Dasypus {Tatusia) tricinctiis. 



3. The Pig-headed Armadillo ; Dasypus porcinus ; Tatu porcinus, Grew; 



Tatusia Peba, Desmarest. 



4. The Hybrid Armadillo : Dasypus hyhridus, Desm. 



5. The Spurious Armadillo ; Dasypus Tatouay, Desm. 



6. The Hairy Armadillo; Dasypus villosus, Desm. 



7. The Dwarf Armadillo ; Dasypus minimus, Desm. 



8. The Giant Armadillo ; Dasypus (Priodontcs) Gigas. 



9- The Truncated Armadillo; Dasypus (Chlamyphorus) truncatus. 



The term Poi/ou which D'Azara gives to the weasel-headed 

 armadillo signifies c yellow-handed ;' he observes that it is 

 also sometimes called 6 pepondo/ or hairy. This species 

 measures one foot and a half from the extremity of the nose 

 to the setting on of the tail, which is nine inches and a half 

 in length. The head measures five inches in length, and the 

 ears an inch and a quarter. The form of the head is trian- 

 gular, flat or very slightly convex above ; broad behind. 

 The muzzle short : the coronal plate or helmet is composed 

 of irregularly disposed segments : it is slightly notched on 

 either side over the eye, and the angles are, as it were, cut 

 off in front of the ears. On each cheek-bone there is a small 

 series of irregular scales, with strong bristles growing there- 

 from projecting beneath the eyes. A transverse row of eight 

 or nine pieces crosses the neck. The scapular shield is com- 

 posed of six rows of segments, which, separating as they ex- 

 tend from the middle line of the back to the sides, receive 

 other segments of a similar form in the intervals. The mar- 

 gin of each segment is as it were divided into a series of six 

 or eight smaller segments, surrounding a larger central piece. 

 The moveable bands are seven in number, composed of elon- 

 gated rectangular segments. The shield covering the loins 

 is composed of ten rows of less elongated pieces, similarly 

 sculptured to those of the scapular shield. The tail is round 

 and conical ; it is surrounded at its base with three or four 

 rings ; the remainder is irregularly covered with tubercular 

 segments. 



The number of teeth are nine on either side of the upper 

 jaw, and ten on either side of the lower ; the anterior teeth 

 differ neither in form nor function from the rest, they are 

 incisors only in respect to the bone in which they are im- 

 planted. 



The four extremities are terminated each by five toes. The 

 nipples are pectoral, and two in number. Large hairs may 

 be observed projecting from the hinder part of the segments 

 composing both the moveable bands and the shields. 



This species is very common in Paraguay, and burrows 



