1388 THE EDENTATES 



immovably welded together. In the development of additional facets for mutual ar- 

 ticulation, the vertebrae of the loins of the armadillos resemble those of the ant-eaters. 

 The ribs are of considerable width, and the upper lateral processes of the back 

 are specially developed for the support of the carapace. Most of the species are of 

 comparatively-small size; the largest living one not exceeding three feet in length, 

 exclusive of the tail; but in the Pleistocene 'of Argentine there occurs the gigantic 

 Dasypotherium, with a skull about a foot in length. In the Argentine pampas the 

 armadillos are as a rule diurnal, in other districts many appear to be crepuscular or 

 nocturnal. The majority are mainly or exclusively insectivorous, but one species 

 consumes not only flesh, but vegetable substances. In disposition these Edentates 

 are mostly harmless and inoffensive little creatures; a Gaucho remarking to Mr. 

 Darwin, as he sharpened his knife on the back of one, "they are so quiet {son tan 

 mansos"). All of them burrow in the ground, and so rapid is the act of burrowing, 

 that, as the writer has witnessed, if a horseman see one of these animals, it is 

 almost necessary for him to tumble off his horse in order to capture it before it dis- 

 appears in the soft soil of the pampas. They run with considerable speed, some of 

 the species merely touching the ground with the tips of their claws, and carrying 

 the body elevated high on the limbs. They are found both on the open pampas and 

 and in the forests, and, with the exception of a single species w r hich ranges as far 

 north as Texas, they are restricted to the warmer parts of South and Central Amer- 

 ica. Their burrows are frequently found in the neighborhood of the mounds erected 

 by ants and termites and although most of the species wander abroad in search of 

 food, a few lead an almost exclusively subterranean and mole-like life. Except in 

 the pairing season, armadillos are solitary creatures, and they nearly always prefer 

 flat, open country for their habitations. Although generally found in dry districts, 

 they are said to be able to swim well and swiftly. In spite of the nature of their 

 food (which in addition to ants and other insects includes snails and worms), the 

 flesh of most armadillos is free from unpleasant flavor. 



The smallest, and at the same time the most curious representative 

 of the whole group, is the tiny creature known as the pichiciago, or 

 pink fairy armadillo (Chlamydophorus tnmcatus), which differs so remarkably from 

 the true armadillos as to constitute a subfamily by itself. This Edentate was dis- 

 covered by the American naturalist Harlan, at Mendoza in 1824, much to the aston- 

 ishment of the natives, who had no knowledge of its existence. For many years it 

 was known only by two examples the one preserved in London and the other at 

 Philadelphia, but of recent years a considerable number of specimens have been 

 obtained; and it has been kept alive in the Zoological Gardens at Buenos Ayres. 



The pichiciago is only about five inches in length, and, while the shield or 

 mantle covering the head and body is pink, the fur is of a snowy white. The head 

 is short, widest behind, and gradually tapering to the muzzle, where it terminates 

 in a short and abruptly-truncated snout, with small and rounded nostrils. The 

 small and almost rudimentary eyes are nearly concealed among the long hair,* and 

 the ears are quite invisible, having scarcely any external conchs. The mouth is 

 very small, with the lips hard and stiff, and the rather long and fleshy tongue is 



* They are made too conspicuous in our figure. 



