502 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



artifice; and by tickling it with a stick, it gives up 

 its hold, and suffers itself to be taken alive. If no 

 other means of escape be left, it rolls itself up 

 within its covering by drawing in its head and legs, 

 and bringing its tail round them as a band to con- 

 nect them more forcibly together: in this situation 

 it sometimes escapes by rolling itself over the edge 

 of a precipice, and generally falls to the bottom 

 unhurt. 



The most successful method of catching Arma- 

 dillos is by snares laid for them by the sides of 

 rivers or other places where they frequent. They 

 all burrow very deep in the ground, and seldom 

 stir out, except during the night, whilst they are in 

 search of food. 



To give a minute description of the shells or 

 coverings of the Armadillos would be extremely dif- 

 ficult, as they are all composed of a number of 

 parts, differing greatly from each other in the order 

 and disposition of the figures with which they are 

 distinguished : but it may be necessary to observe, 

 that in general there are two large pieces that cover 

 the shoulders and the rump, between which lie the 

 bands, which are more or less in number in dif- 

 ferent kinds. These bands are not unlike those in 

 the tail of a Lobster, and being flexible give way 

 to the motions of the animal. The first we shall 

 mention is 



THE THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. 

 (Dasypus Triciiictii-s, Linn. L'^lpar, BufF.) 



ITS shell is about twelve inches long, with three 

 bands in the middle: the crust on the head, back, 



