104 ARMADILLOS. [chap. v. 



road or stream. Here (at Bahia Blanca) the walls round 

 the houses are built of hardened mud ; and I noticed that 

 one, which enclosed a courtyard where I lodged, was bored 

 through by round holes in a score of places. On asking 

 the owner the cause of this, he bitterly complained of the 

 little casarita, several of which I afterwards observed at work. 

 It is rather curious to find how incapable these birds must 

 be of acquiring any notion of thickness, for although 

 they were constantly flitting over the low wall, they 

 continued vainly to bore through it, thinking it an excellent 

 bank for their nests. I do not doubt that each bird, as 

 often as it came to daylight on the opposite side, was 

 greatly surprised at the marvellous fact. 



I have already mentioned nearly all the mammalia 

 common in this country. Of armadillos three species 

 occur, namely, the Dasyptis tninuttis or pichy^ the D. villosvs 

 or peludOf and the apar. The first extends ten degrees 

 further south than any other kind : a fourth species, the 

 Mulita^ does not come as far south as Bahia Blanca. 

 The four species have nearly similar habits ; the peludOy 

 however, is nocturnal, while the others wander by day over 

 the open plains, feeding on beetles, larvae, roots, and even 

 small snakes. The apar^ commonly called mataco, is 

 remarkable by having only three movable bands ; the rest 

 of its tesselated covering being nearly inflexible. It has the 

 power of rolling itself into a perfect sphere, like one kind of 

 English woodlouse. In this state it is safe from the attack 

 of dogs ; for the dog not being able to take the whole in its 

 mouth, tries to bite one side, and the ball slips away. The 

 smooth hard covering of the mataco off"ers a better defence 

 than the sharp spines of the hedgehog. The pichy prefers a 

 very dry soil ; and the sand-dunes near the coast, where 

 for many months it can never taste water, are its favourite 

 resort : it often tries to escape notice by squatting close to 

 the ground. In the course of a day's ride near Bahia 

 Blanca, several were generally met with. The instant one 

 was perceived, it was necessary, in order to catch it, 

 almost to tumble off one's horse ; for in soft soil the animal 

 burrowed so quickly, that its hinder quarters would almost 

 disappear before one could alight. It seems almost a pity 

 to kill such nice little animals, for, as a Gaucho said, while 

 sharpening his knife on the back of one, "Son tan mansos" 

 (they are so quiet). 



Of reptiles there are many kinds : one snake (a TrigonO" 



