THE COMMON AKMADILLO. 



269 



donate creature, which, after wandering over the house in search of 

 ants, would attract attention to its wants by climbing up my knee, lay- 

 ing hold of my leg by its prehensile tail. The other, more than double 

 that length, was caught in the jungle near Chilaw, and brought to me 

 in Colombo. I had always understood that the Pengolin was unable 

 to climb trees, but the one last mentioned frequently ascended a tree in 

 my garden in search of ants, and this is effected by means of its hooked 

 feet, aided by an oblique grasp of the tail. The ants it seized by ex- 

 tending its round and glutinous tongue along their tracks. Generally 

 speaking, they were quiet during the day, and grew restless as evening 

 and night approached." 



The Armadillos are inhabitants of Central and Southern America, 

 and are tolerably common throughout the whole of the land in which 

 they live. The general structure of the armor is similar in all the spe- 

 cies, and consists of three large plates of horny covering, one being placed 



The Armadillo (Daeypus sexcinctus). 

 on the head, another on the shoulders, and the third on the hind-quar- 

 ters. These plates are connected by a series of bony rings, variable in 

 number, overlapping each other, and permitting the animal to move 

 freely. 



The Common Armadillo, or Poyou, is about twenty inches in total 

 length, the tail occupying some six or seven inches. It is very com- 

 mon in Paraguay, but is not easily captured, owing to its remarkable 

 agility, perseverance, and wariness. Encumbered as it appears to be 

 with its load of plate-armor, it runs with such speed that it can hardly 

 be overtaken by a quick-footed man ; and if it should contrive to reach 

 its burrow, it can never be got out except by dint of hard work. 

 23* 



