THE YELLOW-FOOTED ARMADILLO. 



185 



on each side of the jaws, and there are two teeth in the intermaxillary bones of the upper jaw, 

 representing the incisor teeth of ordinary Mammals, and thus forming an exception, not only to the 

 other Armadillos, but even to the order of Edentata, as represented in the recent period. 



THE POYOU, OE YELLOW-FOOTED ARMADILLO.* 



This little Armadillo, which in captivity and in the natural state is remarkable for its boldness 

 and restlessness, is a native of Brazil and especially of Paraguay, where it is common. It has a large, 

 flat, nearly triangular top to its head, the face is short, the muzzle obtuse, and the ears erect and of 

 moderate size. It has sharp little eyes. It measures about sixteen inches from the nose to the tail, 

 and this is about seven or eight inches long. The number of movable bands is often six, but this is 

 not the invariable number, for there may be seven or eight. The tail is surrounded, at its base, with 

 three or four bony rings, and throughout the rest of its length is nearly covered with regular tuberculous 



scales, the separations between the bands showing some long bristly grey hairs. The body is flat and 

 broad, and has short legs, and the creature runs with a very active and determined gait. It is a sti^ong 

 little thing, and it is said that when it is chased, it will often get away from a man by sheer speed and 

 activity. When, any noise is made at the entrance of its burrow, or if it is teased by spectators around 

 its cage, it comes forth and grunts like a Pig, and looks at the disturber with a bold inquiring look. 

 When it is attacked it is powerless, and seems incapable of making any defence, but it retreats to its 

 burrow, and getting to the bottom of it, digs deeper still. Its power of burrowing does not seem to 

 be much diminished by the limited rotation of the fore-arm, to which there is no pronator quadratus, 

 but a well- developed pronator teres. 



The Poyou feeds much on carrion, and for this reason its flesh, though fat, is never eaten by the 

 inhabitants of European origin, though the Indians make no distinction in this respect between it and 

 other Armadillos. When it stops or rests, it has a custom of squatting close to the ground like a Hare 

 on her form, and in this position the great breadth of the body becomes apparent. 



The hinder shield has two hairs on the hinder side of each of its dorsal scales, and the under part 

 of the body has scattered bristles on it. The female has two pectoral mammae. 



* Dasypus sexcintus (Linn. ). 



