280 FAMILY LORICATA ; ARMADILLO, CHLAMYPHORUS. 



roots, fallen fruits, and other soft vegetable substances ; but they 

 will feed on carrion when it falls in their way ; and greedily 

 devour worms, small lizards and serpents, the eggs of birds which 

 build upon the ground, and also (it is believed) ants. Those 

 which live near the Pampas, glut themselves on the half-putrid 

 carcases of the wild cattle, which are slaughtered for the sake of 

 their skins and tallow ; and becoming extremely fat upon this 

 diet, they are esteemed great delicacies (roasted whole in their 

 shells), not only by the Indians, but also by the Spanish and Por- 

 tuguese Americans. Numerous other species exist; but they are 

 all confined to South America. The largest at present existing 

 is the Great Armadillo, which inhabits Brazil and the Northern 

 parts of Paraguay ; this, although 3 feet 3 inches from the nose 

 to the origin of the tail, must have been a pigmy in comparison 

 with the gigantic Glyptodon, a fossil species, of whose armour 

 a nearly complete specimen is contained in the Museum of the 

 College of Surgeons, London. 



248. In South America, also, is found another very remark- 

 able animal, named the Chlamyphorus truncatus, or Pichiciago ; 

 in which several characters of different tribes are remarkably 

 blended. Like the Armadillo, it has a tesselated shield ; the 

 consistence of which is not bony, however, being between horn 

 and leather. This shield commences on the head, and extends 

 over the back and haunches, dipping abruptly down over the 

 latter, so as to look as if the body were cut off there (whence 

 the specific name of the animal is derived) ; it is divided by inter- 

 secting furrows into a series of bands or strips, each of which 

 is made up of a row of square plates ; but instead of being 

 firmly attached by its whole under-surface to the integuments 

 beneath (as is the case with that of the Armadillo), it is con- 

 nected with the back only by a ridge of skin along the spine, 

 and with the skull by two bony prominences from the forehead. 

 The sides and under surface of the body are covered with fine 

 silky hair, like that of the Mole ; to which animal it bears a 

 strong resemblance also, in the form of its fore-feet, in the im- 

 perfection of its eyes (which are not visible externally), in the 

 conical form of its snout, and in its general habits of life. It is 



