AKMADILLO. 



ARM A I >1I, I. n. 



iU hue inchen. The bend U small, long, Mid straight; the nose 

 extremely elongated, taper, and terminated by a sort of uiall muzzle 

 something resembling the snout of a hog ; the mouth is large ; the 

 eye* mall, and placed on the (idea of the head ; the ean long, ami 

 placed cloee together; the tail long and attenuated; the legs short; 

 and the feet small. The buckler of the shoulder* extends in front 

 oTcr the whole neck, and towards the rear as far as the hack, descending 

 on each side to the elbows. It U composed of small pieces adhering to 

 one another, and disposed in numerous parallel concentric rings, having 

 the concavity towards the front, the first ring embracing the neck of 

 the iyml The buckler of the croup extends from the back to the 

 origin of the tail, and descends on each side to the knees. It is com- 

 posed, as in the former case, of small pieces arranged in a great number 

 of parallel concentric rings, passing transversely over the hips, but haying 

 their concavity turned in the opposite direction from that of the rings 

 on the shoulder, or in such a manner that the last embraces the root of 

 the tail When viewed externally, the little pieces composing these 

 bucklers have the appearance of irregular tubercles, but when examined 

 on the under side of the buckler they are found to be hexagons almost 

 as regular as those of the cells of bees, and fitted as precisely to one 

 another. Between the bucklers of the shoulders and croup are inter- 

 posed a variable number of transverse moveable bands marked with 

 zig-zag lines forming very acute angles, and in some degree gliding over 

 one another according to the different motions of the animal. Out of 1 4 

 individuals examined by Azara, there were two with 6 of these moveable 

 bands, one with 7, seven with 8, and four with 9 ; and it was observed that 

 the full-grown ones always had the greatest number of bands, which 

 renders it extremely probable that new bands are detached from the 

 bucklers as they are required by the increasing growth of the animal. 

 The buckler of the head descends from the ears to the muzzle, and 

 covers each cheek as far down as the orbits; and there are small 

 detached scales interspersed in various situations over the throat, the 

 under-jaw, the legs, and feet, and even on the outer side of the ears. 

 The tail is extremely long and taper : it is composed of a great 

 number of osseous rings forming a long tubular case, and connected 

 like thejoints of a cane. The Peba, or, as it is commonly called in 

 Brazil, Tatu-Peba, has 32 teeth, 8 on each side both of the upper and 

 under jaws. It inhabits Guyana, Brazil, and Paraguay, is a timid 

 nocturnal animal, tolerably swift-footed, and very expert in burrowing. 

 It is never found in the woods, but delights in the open plains and 

 cultivated fields, and is much hunted by the inhabitants on account 

 of the delicacy of its flesh, which, when roasted in the shell, is fat and 

 well tasted ; it U said to resemble that of a sucking-pig. 



2. D. hybridal (Desmarest), the Mule Armadillo, called MTxmriqua, 

 or Mule Tatu, by the Guaranis, in allusion to its long upright cars 

 differs from the last species principally by its smaller size, and the 

 comparative shortness and smallness of its tail. The length from the 

 nose to the origin of the tail is stated by Azara to be only 11$ inches; 

 the tail itself is 6J inches long, and 3 inches in circumference at the 

 root ; whence it appears that the tail of the present species is only 

 half the length of the body, whilst in the Tatu-Peba its dimensions 

 are very nearly equal. The legs of the present species are also rather 

 shorter than those of the Peba, the body is broader and less covered 

 with hair on the under surface, and the moveable bands generally 

 fewer in number, and capable of being separated to a greater distance 

 from one another. Their number generally varies from 5 to 7, without 

 distinction of sex, but it is to be observed that the former number is 

 only found in very young animals ; and altogether the small size and 

 general external resemblance of the two species make it sometimes 

 difficult to distinguish between the adult M'bouriqua and the young 

 Peba, especially if great attention be not paid to the comparative 

 length of the body and tail, which forms the only certain criterion. 

 This species inhabits the open uncovered country, like the former, 

 but extends much farther south, and is common on the pampas of 

 Buenos Ayres. 



3. D. Verdadeiro, the Tatu Verdadeiro, is a species very similar in 

 size and proportions to the Mule Armadillo ; but the point of its tail 

 U terminated by a horny case of a single piece ; the moveable bands 

 are broader, and the plates of the croup-buckler are of considerably 

 larger size. We know very little more about this species than the 

 few characters here reported. It inhabits the woods of Brazil, resides 

 in burrows, and is found abroad at all hours during the day-time. 

 Konter is the only traveller who mentions this animal, but Baron 

 Curier had an opportunity of establishing its specific distinctions by 

 the examination of some specimens brought to France by M. Auguste 

 de St. Hilaire. 



II. The second subdivision which Baron Cuvier establishes among 

 the Armadillos, and which he calls Aparai, is characterised by having 

 the claws and teeth in all respects similar to those of the preceding, 

 are that the number of the latter amounts to nine or ten on each 

 aide both of the upper and lower jaws ; but the animals of the present 

 group are immediately distinguishable from nil others of the gt-ini* l.y 

 the faculty which they possess of completely rolling themselves up 

 like a hedgehog into a round ball, in which situation they may be 

 tumbled about, or even, it is said, thrown over precipices, without 

 receiving any material injury. There is but a single known species. 



4. ]>. Aj^nr (Uennaredt), ami l>. fi-i'r.'ii.-r/M i Linnaeus), the Mataco, 

 called also Bolita, or the little ball, from its faculty of assuming a 



il form, is nearly 12 inches long from the nose to the or 



he tail ; the hea<l ' quite 2) inches. 



The head is oblong and of a pyrui '" pointed ; 



The Mataco (D. Afar). 

 the ears short and nearly round ; and the legs and claws compare 

 smaller and weaker than in the other species ; the tail also is much 

 shorter, and does not taper so much ; it is flattened at the root, and 

 covered above with a rough granular crust The small pieces which 

 compose the bucklers and moveable bands are themselves of very 

 irregular figures, and disposed in a more confused manner than in 

 other species, bearing no distant resemblance to a number of small 

 rough fragments of stones thrown at random over the surface. The 

 buckler of the shoulders forms a prominent angle on each side which 

 advances forwards over the cheek ; it is composed of 9 or 10 parallel 

 bands of small plates, of a polygonal figure, except those of the last 

 row. which, like the plates of the moveable bands, form irregular 

 parallelograms. The buckler of the croup is composed of 1 3 transverse 

 rows of small plates, similar to those of the shoulders, and between 

 the two bucklers are interposed three moveable bands only : a mimo, -r 

 by which the Mataco is readily distinguishable from all other arma- 

 dillos, though it is probable that it may vary in a small degree, as it 

 is found to do in other cases. Ita usual resource, and only it 

 when frightened or surprised, is to roll itself up ; for it does not con- 

 struct burrows like the Tatu-Peba, nor does it possess sufficient speed 

 to escape by flight. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay, ami Uucnos 

 Ayres, but is nowhere very common. 



"ill. The Untouberte, or third division of Baron Cuvier, have 6 toes 

 on the fore feet, and 9 or 10 teeth throughout, but they arc principally 

 distinguished by having 2 teeth in the intermaxillary lnu - "t the 

 upper jaw, representing, as it were, the incisor teeth of ordinary 

 mammals, and thus forming an exception, not only to the other 

 Armadillos, but even to the order of Kihta<, which are principally 

 characterised by their want of teeth of thin description. 



6. Jl irc-tl. /(. fr.n /(,.'. (l.iniKi'iis\, tlie IV.yon, or 



Yellow-Footed Armadillo (for thus Azara interprets the name), mea- 



Thc Poyou (1). 



suren about 16 inches from the nose to the origin of the tail, which is 

 itaelf about half the length of the head is large, flat, and 



