68 WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP. 



official purpose being to protect the animal's head. 

 In walking, he carried his back very highly arched 

 in the middle, and ... his heavy tail barely cleared 

 the ground. . . . 



" If ever a small animal was especially created 

 to resist the attacks of destroyers, that manis must 

 have been the one. In such plate-armor as he 

 wore he could roll himself up and defy the teeth 

 of the jackal, or leopard, or the fangs of the cobra. 

 Having no teeth at all, and claws fashioned only 

 for digging, he would have fared badly in the 

 jungle without his defensive coat of mail. From 

 the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail he was 

 covered with broad, flattened, shield-shaped plates 

 of clear, gray horn. . . . 



" Not having any one to introduce me, I under- 

 took to get along without that formality; but it 

 was of no use. He immediately tucked his head 

 down between his fore legs, brought his tail under 

 his body and up over his head, and held it there, 

 forming of himself a flattened ball completely cov- 

 ered with scales. 



" I said to him, ' My fine fellow, I really must 

 insist upon knowing you more intimately ; so here 

 goes.' 



" I then undertook to uncoil him, but found I 

 could not accomplish the task alone. I called 

 Henrique to help me, but the tail stuck to the 

 body, as if it had been riveted there. 



" I also called Canis to help, and while I held 



