ARMADILLOS. 189 



The eyes of the armadillos are small and lateral ; the 

 ears, varying in size in the different species, are firm, and 

 covered with tuberculated skin. Most of the species are 

 nocturnal in their habits, remaining concealed in their 

 burrows during the day ; these are of considerable extent, 

 dipping at an inclination of about 45 degrees ; they have 

 one or two sharp turns, and are very narrow, just ad- 

 mitting the passage of their occupier. The animals 

 make these burrows with great expedition, and can only 

 be forced out by smoke or water ; such is their strength 

 and the tenacity of their hold, that they have been known 

 to leave their tail in the hands of the hunter, on his 

 attempt to drag them forth. 



When alarmed during their excursions, the first en- 

 deavour of these animals is to gain their burrows, to 

 which they run with a degree of celerity little to be ex- 

 pected from their clumsy appearance. Most of the 

 species will easily outstrip a man ; their movements, how- 

 ever, resemble those produced by mechanism, for, as the 

 spinous processes of the vertebral column are all inclined 

 the same way, viz. towards the tail, there being no 

 central points to which those of the upper and those of 

 the lower portion mutually converge, so the motions of 

 the limbs are unaccompanied by corresponding inflexions 

 of this column, as is the case in other animals whose pro- 

 gressive motions are free and unconstrained. 



When hard pressed and unable to gain their burrow, 

 they either attempt to dig a temporary place of refuge, 

 or they gather up their limbs beneath their coat of mail, 

 bend down their head, assume a partially rolled-up figure, 

 and wait the event. The mataco, which does not burrow, 

 and is by no means swift, can roll itself up completely. 

 They never attempt to bite or otherwise defend them- 

 selves. The food of the armadillos consists principally 

 of fallen fruits, roots, and worms ; but they do not reject 

 carrion, and have been known to penetrate into graves, 

 when not properly protected by stones or brick-work. 

 Azara informs us that ants are never found in the districts 

 inhabited by the armadillos, and that these animals break 

 into the ant-hills, and devour the insects as greedily as 



