180 TEXAS NATUEE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



tered only for its ornamental uti- 

 lity. This animal per se is a harm- 

 less creature, as it has no weapon 

 of defense, its long mouthparts 

 b(\ing supiiliedr with l].at teeth 

 (molai- teeth) and they never, to 

 my knowledge, make an attempt 

 to bite — the snout being very long, 

 and the mouth small. However, 

 it defends itself when possible to 

 do so, with its powerful and long 



burrows underground. They have 

 short but exceedingly strong legs, 

 with their powerful claws rapidly 

 dig their underground burrows, 

 or, during danger, to escape the 

 pursuit of hunters, dogs, etc. 



The meat of the armadillo is 

 considered eatable, and a delicacy 

 by many, resembling somewhat 

 the meat of bear or of pork. Such 

 at. least, I have often heard said 

 by armadillo hunters, especially 



An Armadillo Basket 

 (Original Photo, From Wm. Appmann's Drug Store Exhibit of Armadillo Baskets) 



claws which also serve the anima' 

 to dig and bury itself in a very 

 fev/ minutes below the ground. 



The external coverings of an 

 armadillo consists of a bony case 

 the frontal broad shield covering 

 and reaching over the front 

 shoulders, and the balance is com- 

 posed of movable, transverse bony 

 bands and thereby giving the body 

 considerable flexibility and ena- 

 bling the animal to "roll up" 

 when encountered in its native 



Mexicans. These animals generally 

 are nocturnal in their habits and 

 though they feed on insects and 

 roots, they seem to be omnnivor- 

 ous as they eat all sorts of roots 

 and fruits, insects, worms, etc., 

 and some species in various trop- 

 ical countries devour the semi- 

 putrid flesh of dead cattle, and 

 even it is mentioned in some na- 

 tural jhistory works, burrowing 

 into human graves. In pre-his 

 toric ages, history relates, that 



