7G GUIDE TO THE F08SII- MAMMALS AND BIKD8. 



Wall-case lapping cross-bands whicli enable the surviving armadillos 

 T bi^ ^^ ^"^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ when attacked. Glyptodon (Fig. 70) is 



14b. one of the best known genera, and owes its name (" sculptured 

 Case Z. tooth ") to the circumstance that hard and soft portions 

 alternate in the teeth, thus imparting a sculptured ai)pearance 

 to their grinding surface. The actual armour of a line 

 specimen is mounted, with a plaster cast of the skeleton, in 

 Case Z. As here exhibited the total length of the animal, 

 measured along the curve of the back, is 11 feet 6 inches ; 

 while the body shield or carapace measures 7 feet in length 

 by 9 feet across. The armour oliviously consists of small 

 bony rosettes or bosses compacted together, and it must have 

 been originally covered with a thin outer skin. There is a 

 little shield on the top of the head ; and the covering of the 

 tail is arranged in successive, overlapping rings. At times 

 of danger, the animal would probably be al)le to draw \\\) its 



Fici. 71. — Portion of tail-sheath of Hoplophorus, from the Pampa Forma- 

 tion of the Argentine Republic ; one-quarter nat. size. (Wall-case 26.) 



legs close to the body, so as U) rest its cara})ace on the 

 ground, while its armour-plated head would be bent do^^■n- 

 wards in front. The massive tail must have moved freely 

 behind the carapace, and in one genus, Daedicurus, the solid 

 end of the tail-sheath is somewhat expanded to bear a cluster 

 of bony bosses which would give it the aspect of a powerful 

 club (see Wall-case 26). Hoplojjhcrrus is a smaller elongated 

 animal having the end of the tail-sheath without lings 

 (Fig. 71). It is illustrated by a good series of specimens in 

 Wall-case 26. 

 Table-case '^^^^ earlier remains of armadillos frum I'atagunia, as 

 14b. shown by the collection in Table-case 14b, represent animals 

 much smaller than those from the Pampa Formation, and 

 some of them liave a Ijanded carapace like that of the living 

 armadillos. It must, in fact, be understood that the tree- 

 sloths of the present South American forests and the 



