THE LIFE OF MAMMALS 
way so rapidly in the loose pampas soil that a man must fairly 
tumble off his horse if he means to catch one before it has put 
itself below the surface. 
Differing from these in various ways are several other arma- 
dillos, of which one kind, the little ‘‘apars,”’ have very solid 
bucklers over their fore shoulders and rumps, but the central 
zone separated into three narrow bands; and these are the 
armadillos which roll themselves into tight balls, which a dog 
or wild cat may tumble about till they are tired but can get no 
tooth into; then the apar lets the kinks out of the special mus- 
cles which enable him to curve and hold his shell around him, 
uncoils and trots away on the very tips of his toes in the most 
comical of pony gaits. 
The apars are noted, in- 
deed, for their lively and 
restless manners. As for 
the peba, that is a ‘“nine- 
banded” species chiefly in- 
teresting because so com- 
mon in Mexico and western Texas, and the only member 
of its clan counted among Uncle Sam’s animal citizens. It 
is equally numerous and familiar in all the drier parts of 
South America, and is best liked of all when nicely baked 
in its own shell. Pleasantly told anecdotes of their ways 
as they potter about, ‘“‘respectful of others’ rights, but calmly 
confident in their tooth-and-claw-proof armor,’ may be read 
in the Beebes’ “Two Bird Lovers in Mexico” —a delight- 
ful book. 
Quite separate from all these there is or was, for perhaps 
none are left, on the western border of the Argentine pampas, 
a miniature pink and white armadillo, not larger than a mouse, 
the pichiciego, whose armor is constructed after a very differ- 
ent plan from the others. Lydekker* describes its peculiari- 
ties in detail. 
¢ 
APARS, ROLLED INTO BALLS. 
478 
