THE BALL ARMADILLO. 187 



The Cachicames, another group of Armadillos, were so called after the Indian name for a black 

 kind, which has a very long tail, and which is the type of it. 



The two kinds included in the group have four fingers, and five toes, which ave separate, and the 

 backs of the feet are round and covered with scales. The claws are conical, and the animal walks, as 

 it were, on the toes more than on the sole, being thus digitigrade. The teeth number about eight on 

 each side above and below. 



THE PEBA, OR BLACK TATOU.* 



This Armadillo has a very wide geographical range, extending from Texas, through Central 

 America to Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay, and a variety called Dasypus Kappleri inhabits Surinam. 

 It has great ears, which are long and placed very close together, and the muzzle at the end of the long, 

 tapering face is not unlike that of the snout of a Hog in shape. The head is small, long, and straight, 

 but the mouth is large. There are eight teeth on both sides of both jaws. The body is hairy below 

 the shields and bands, which are largely developed. Then the neck and shoulder shield extends far 

 back and comes as low as the elbow, and is composed of numerous scales disposed in many concen- 

 tric rings, having the concavity in front, the first embracing the neck in its curve. The croup shield 

 extends from the back to the origin of the tail, and reaches as low as the knees, and the concavity of 

 its rings is turned towards the rear, the last embracing the tail. These scales are hexagons. Between 

 the shields the bands are marked with zigzag lines forming very acute angles, and in some degree 

 gliding over one another according to the movements of the animal. Out of fourteen specimens, 

 two had six, one had seven, seven had eight, and there were four with nine bands ; the full- 

 grown ones have the greatest number. The head shield descends from the ears to the muzzle, and 

 covers the cheeks as far down as the eyes, and there are small, interspersed, detached scales over 

 the throat, the under jaw, the legs, and feet. The body is sixteen inches long, and the tail is 

 nearly as long fourteen inches and is stout at the root. One variety of the species has some of the 

 rings of the tail soldered into a case, which is used as a horn by the Indians. It is a timid, 

 nocturnal animal, tolerably swift-footed and very expert in bun-owing. It is never found in the 

 woods, but delights in the open plains and cultivated fields, and is much hunted on account of 

 the delicacy of the flesh, which, when roasted in the shell, is fat, and something better than 

 Sucking-pig in taste. These long-tailed Armadillos bury garbage and flesh in their burrows, and 

 eat it at their leisure. 



Another species of this group is the Mule Armadillo (Dasypus kybridus, Desmarest), which has 

 long, straight ears and a short tail. It roams farther north than the other kind, and is common 

 on the Pampas, and is not nocturnal, nor does it burrow very easily. The female has from eight 

 to twelve young at a birth, and the individuals of a litter are often of one sex. 



The Armadillos of all kinds, it is said, only have one litter a year, and then the young are 

 numerous, but the mother has never more than four teats, and many have only two. 



The last group of the Armadillos, the Tolypeutes, contains some remarkable species, which have 

 the power of rolling themselves up as in a ball-shape, and they walk in a most extraordinary manner 

 on the tip of long and powerful front claws, and also on the flat and tip of the hind ones. 



THE BALL ARMADILLO.f 



This is a small and very beautifully ornamented Armadillo, which has three free central 

 bands and a short tail, with large fore and aft shields. It rolls itself up on the slightest alarm, 

 so that the great shoulder and croup shields meet, the head and tail fitting in exactly, in front, so as 

 to close up the body very safely. The little animal, which is rarely more than fifteen inches long, 

 .and has a tail of a couple of inches in length, is found in Brazil, Paraguay, and Buenos Ayres, 

 and its walking on the long, stout claws of the fore legs gives it a very curious and unsteady 

 appearance. 



It is an active, sprightly, light-footed little thing, according to Dr. Murie, and is constantly on 

 the move, going here and there with much vivacity. Poising itself on tiptoe, it trots backwards and 

 forwards as if on some urgent errand. In captivity the food was raw meat, boiled eggs, and bread- 

 * Dasypus Peba (Desmarest). f Dasi/pus (Tolypeutes) apar (Geoffrey). 



