WITH SCALES OR SHELLS. 



381 



every direction. In some there are but three 

 of these bands between the large pieces; in 

 others there are six; in a third kind there 

 are eight ; in a fourth kind, nine; in a fifth 

 kind, twelve ; and, lastly, in the sixth kind 

 there is but one large piece, which covers 

 the shoulders, and the rest of the body is co- 

 vered with bands all down to the tail. These 

 shells are differently coloured in different 

 kinds, but most usually they are of a dirty 

 gray. This colour, in all, arises from ano- 

 ther peculiar circumstance in their confor- 

 mation, for the shell itself is covered with a 

 softish skin, which is smooth and transparent. 



But, although these shells might easily de- 

 fend this animal from a feeble enemy, yet 

 they could make but a slight resistance against 

 a more powerful antagonist; nature, there- 

 fore, has given the armadillo the same method 

 of protecting itself with the hedgehog or the 

 pangolin. The instant it perceives itself at- 

 tacked, it withdraws the head under its shells, 

 and lets nothing be seen but the tip of the 

 nose; if the danger increase, the animal's pre- 

 cautions increase in proportion; it then tucks 

 up its feet under its belly, unites its two ex- 

 tremities together, while the tail seems as a 

 band to strengthen the connexion ; and it 

 thus becomes like a ball, a little flattish on 

 each side. In this position it continues ob- 

 stinately fixed, while the danger is near, and 

 often long after it is ov"er. In this situation 

 it is tossed about at the pleasure of every 

 other quadruped, and very little resembling 

 a creature endowed with life and motion. 

 Whenever the Indians take it, which is in 

 this form, by laying it close to the fire, they 

 soon oblige the poor animal to unfold itself, 

 and to face a milder death to escape a more 

 severe. 



This animal is a native only of America, for 

 they were utterly unknown before the disco- 

 very of that continent. It is an inoffensive, 

 harmless creature, unless it finds the way into 

 a garden, where it does a great deal of mis- 

 chief, by eating the melons, the potatoes, and 

 other vegetables. Although a native of the 

 warmest parts of America, yet it bears the 

 cold of our climate without any inconvenience. 

 We have often seen them shown among other 

 wild beasts, which is a proof they are not 

 difficult to be brought over. Their motion 



seems to be a swift walk, but they can nei- 

 ther run, leap, nor climb trees; so that, if 

 found in an open place, they have no method 

 of escaping from their pursuers. Their only 

 resource in such an extremity is to make to- 

 wards their hole as fast as they can; or, if 

 this be impracticable, to make a new hole 

 before the enemy arrives. For this they re- 

 quire but a very few moments advantage; 

 the mole itself does not burrow swifter than 

 they can. For this purpose, they are furnish- 

 ed with claws extremely large, strong, and 

 crooked, and usually four upon each foot. 

 They are sometimes caught by the tail as they 

 are making their way into the earth; but such 

 is their resistance, and so difficult is it to 

 draw them backward, that they leave their 

 tail in the hand of their pursuer, and are very 

 well contented to save their lives with its loss. 

 The pursuers, sensible of this, never drag the 

 tail with all their force, but hold it while ano- 

 ther digs the ground about them, and thus 

 these animals are taken alive. The instant 

 the armadillo perceives itself in the power 

 of its enemies, it has but one last resource, to 

 roll itself up, and thus patiently wait what- 

 ever tortures they think proper to inflict. 

 The flesh of the smaller kinds is said to be 

 delicate eating; so that we may suppose they 

 receive no mercy. For this reason they are 

 pursued with unceasing industry ; and, al- 

 though they burrow very deep in the earth, 

 there have been many expedients used to 

 force them out. The hunters sometimes con- 

 trive to fill the hole with smoke, which is 

 often successful ; they at other times force it 

 by pouring in water. They also bring up a 

 small kind of dogs to the chase that quickly 

 overtake them, if at any distance from their 

 burrow, and oblige them to roll themselves 

 up in a ball, in which figure the hunters car- 

 ry them home. If, however, the armadillo be 

 near a precipice, it often escapes by rolling 

 itself up, and then tumbling down from rock 

 to rock, without the least danger or inconve- 

 nience. They are sometimes taken in snares 

 laid for them by the sides of rivers and low 

 moist places, which they particularly fre- 

 quent; and this methed. in general, succeeds 

 better than any of the former, as their bur- 

 rows are very deep, and they seldom stir out 

 except in the night. At no time are they 

 3 M* 



