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ble coat of mail with which it is furnished by nature 

 for its defence. It is a native of South America, 

 where there are several kinds ; but the principal 

 difterence consists in the number of bands or folds, of 

 which the armour that covers the body is composed. 

 It is a harmless, inoffensive animal, feeds on roots, 

 herbs, and other vegetables, grows very fat, and is 

 much esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh. The 

 Indians hunt it with small dogs, trained for the pur- 

 pose : when it is surprised, it runs to its hole, or at- 

 tempts to make a new one, which it does with great 

 expedition, having strong claws on the fore feet, with 

 which it adheres so firmly to the ground, that if it 

 should be caught by the tail, whilst making its way 

 into the earth, its resistance is so great that it will 

 sometimes leave its tail in the hands of its pursuers ; 

 to avoid this the hunter has recourse to 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 the head and legs, and bringing the 

 tail round them, as a band to connect 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. 



Next to these is the huge Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros 

 Unicornis) which may be considered as one of the 

 most powerful of animals; in strength, indeed, he 

 is inferior to none, and his bulk (says Bontius) 

 equals the Elephant, but is lower only on account 

 of the shortness of his legs. The length of the 

 Rhinoceros, from head to tail, is usually twelve 

 feet ; and the circumference of the body nearly 

 equals that length : its nose is armed with so hard 

 and formidable a horn, that the Tiger will rather 



