﻿DR J. MURIE ON THE THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. 73 



Lastly, I may incidentally recount a scene of drollery between the Armadillos and tlieir 

 mischievous companions the monkeys. Occasionally, and when in high spirits, the latter 

 take to teasing the former. Watching the harmless and defenceless Basypus issue from 

 his sleeping-box, one monkey, more bold and fuller of fun than his brethren, would sud- 

 denly catch hold of the Armadillo's tail and drag him backwards. With frantic glee and 

 chattering, the monkey's companions join ; and all who can lay hold, haul might and 

 main, and tumble and toss about our scaled friend to their heart's delight, in spite of his 

 scratchings and struggles. But once caught, again shy ; and a touch would send Arma- 

 dillo bolt into his sleeping-berth, only to emerge thenceforth as dusk approached and the 

 enemy retired to rest. With Tolypeutes such a game was not so easily played ; the short 

 tail, in his case, was tucked in ; head and legs followed ; and there lay a solid ball, wliich 

 they poked about rather suspiciously, and did not quite enjoy the long sharp claws, or 

 were suddenly scared and fled as the sphere started to its feet and set off at a rapid run. 



■ 



In the subjoined footnote ^ I make some extracts from travellers who have witnessed 

 the Armadillos and our species in their wild state. 



* A free translation from Azara runs thus : 



conurus] 



of the 36th degree. It is the only species of this family that, when frightened, hides its head, tail, and foro legs by 



hall 



and 



the ground. It walks always with the body contracted, and more slowly than the other species. The fore 

 legs are weaker ; and the claws are so little adapted to dig the earth, that I doubt if they are used for that purpose. 

 It is fourteen inches long without the tail, which is two inches and two-thirds in length ; the root of it is not round, 



scales, shaned like larsre srrains or nroiectincr knobs. It has three 



with 



dorsal bands, broad above and narrow at the ends. 



gul 



It has 



five toes to the hind foot, and four to the front ones. — Apuntamientos^ vol. ii. p. 161. 



Armadillo 



injury 



found 



form by means of fire. Tlu 



three 



making turns.'' — ffist. of 



arwin 



Arm 



^Journal of the Voyage of the "Adventure" and "Beagle,"' (vol. iii. p. 113) remarks :—*' Of 



and the Apar [Tolypeutes tridncfus?']. The first 

 than any other kind. . A fourth species, the Muh 

 palguen, lat. 37° 20'. which is north of Bahia 1 



'] only extends as far south as the Sierra Ta- 

 The four species have nearly similar habits ; the ]*elndo, 



however, is nocturnal, while the others wander by day over the plains, feeding on beetles, larvae, roots, and even 



small snakes. 



three 



tessellated corneous covering being nearly inflexible. It has the power of rolling itself into a perfect sphere, like one 

 kind of English woodlouse. In this state it is safe from the attack of dogs ; for the dog not being able io take the 

 whole into his mouth, tries to bite one side, and the ball slips away. The 

 a better defence than the sharp spines of the Hedgehog. The Pichy : 



near Bahia Blanca several were generally met with, 

 catch it, almost to tumble off 



one 



a very dry soil ; and the sand dunes near 

 favourite resort. In the course of a day^B rido 

 le was perceived it was necessary, in order to 

 ftio nnimal burrowed SO Quicklv that its hind 



quarters had almost disappeared before one could alight. The Pichy likewise often tries to escape 



ground 



VOL. XXX. 



L 



