ISO 



This lapped round the rest of the body, and being 

 efendcd with shells even more cutting than any other 

 art, the creature continues in perfect security. Its 

 /hells are so large, so thick, and so pointed, that 

 they repel every animal of prey, they make a coat 

 of armour that wounds while it resists, and at once 

 protects and threatens. The most cruel beasts of the 

 forest, the tiger, the panther, and hyaena, make vain 

 attemp'ts to force it. They roll it about, but all to 

 110 purpose ; the pangolin remains safe while its in. 

 fader feels the reward of its rashness. 



The Armadillo is chiefly an inhabitant of South 

 America; a harmless creature, incapable of offending 

 any other, and furnished with a peculiar covering for 

 its own defence. 



This animal being covered like a tortoise, wkh a 

 shell, or rather a number of shells, its other propor- 

 tions are not easily ditcerncd. It appears at iirst view 

 a round mishapen mass, with a long head, and a very 

 jarge tail sticking out at cither end. 



It is of different sizes, from a foot to three feet 

 Jong, and covered with a shell, divided into several 

 pieces, that lap over each other, like the plates in 

 the tail of a lobster. This covers the head, the 

 neck, the back, the sides, the rump, and the tail to 

 the very point. The only parts to which it does not 

 extend are the throat, the breast, and the belly, which 

 are covered with a white soft skin. By this means 

 the animal has a motion in its back, and the armour 

 gives way to it.s necessary inflexions. These shells are 

 differently coloured in different kinds. But most usu- 

 ally they arc of a dirty grey. This colour in all 

 arises from another peculiar circumstance in their 

 conformation; for the shell itself is covered with a 

 softish skinj which is smooth and transparent. 



Beasts may be considered as a numerous groupe, 

 terminated on every side by some, that but in part 

 deserve the name. On one quarter we see a tribe 



