884 THE ENCOUBERT. 



balance, and tumble backwards in the straw. If one of them 

 be assaulted, he rolls himself up into a ball, so as to protect 

 the more tender parts of his body, and expose merely the 

 armour. 



Sir Woodbine Parish, in his account of Buenos Ayres, and 

 the Provinces of the Rio de la Plata (1839), says, from his own 

 experience, " that a more delicate dish than one of these little 

 animals, roasted in its own shell, is not to be had in any part 

 of the world !" The natives of South America eat them, especi- 

 ally when young ; but when old, their flesh has a strong, musky 

 flavour. 



THE CABASSOU. 



(Dasypus unicinctus, Linn. - } D. gymnurus, Illig.) 



The cabassou inhabits Brazil, where it is tolerably common, 

 and attains a great size. The compartments of its bands and 

 shields are square, and broader than long ; the intermediate 

 bands are twelve in number; all the feet have five toes, but 

 those of the fore-feet possess enormous nails with trenchant 

 outer edges ; the tail is long and tuberculous. The Brazilians 

 call the cabassou Tatu de rabo molle, or tatu with the soft tail. 



The structure of the fore-feet enables this animal to burrow 

 with rapidity, and to cling to the earth so tenaciously, that it 

 is with extreme difficulty torn away from it. 



