THE ARMADILLOS— ARMADILLOS PROPER. 



389 



vocal expression consists in grunting sounds, neither 

 harmonious nor emphatic in the conveyance of any 

 particular meaning. 



The Armadillos also, like others of this order, 

 are nearing their complete extinction. Their rate 

 of propagation is slight. It is true that some spe- 

 cies have as many as nine young at a birth ; but the 

 (rrowth of the animals is so slow, and they are so 

 ittle able to withstand the many enemies which 

 ihey have, that their increase in number is a most 

 unlikely contingency. 



THE ARMADILLOS PROPER. 



The Armadillos proper {Dasypus) are all more 

 or less of a similar anatomical conformation. The 

 body is supported by short legs, the conical tail is 

 of moderate length, mail-clad and stiff, and the car- 

 apace is bony and intimately attached to the dermal 

 processes of the body. There are six or more mo- 

 Tbile bands along the dorsal median region. All 

 four of the feet are five-toed; the claws of the fore 

 ieet are laterally compressed and the outer claws 

 are slightly curved outward. 



yellow, through the polishing and attrition of sur- 

 face received by friction against the walls of the 

 burrows. The color of the hair-covered skin of the 

 under surface is similar to that of the outside of 

 the scales on the back. The hair is light, the bare 

 skin brown. The length of the animal is twenty 

 inches, the tail measures nine and one-half inches, 

 and its height is about the same. 



The The Six-banded Armadillo {Dasy- 



Six-banded pus sexcinctus) resembles its relative 

 Armadillo. j^gt described; it is from twenty-two 

 to twenty-four inches long, inclusive of the tail, 

 which measures eight inches, and it is furnished 

 with a shield behind and between the ears, consist- 

 ing of eight pieces; the anterior and posterior por- 

 tions of the carapace are separated by six broad 

 transverse zones or bands and is of a brownish yel- 

 low hue, the armor part being darker, the skin paler. 

 Armadillos of Ml- Armadillos do not live in any one 

 gratory and Noo- particular locality, but frequently 

 turnal Habits, change their place of abode. Their 

 retreat usually consists of a tunnel-like hole, from 

 three to six feet long and is excavated by them- 



THE SIX-BANDED ABUADILLO. The animal with the natural coat of mail, of which this is a picture, is especially endowed for a bur- 

 rowing, insect-hunting life. Its long strong claws enable it to dig with great agility, not only for purposes of retreat, but also to secure the Ants, 

 Termites, etc., which form its food. (Dasyfus sexcinctus.) 



All Armadillos bear the generic name of Tatu 

 in the South American Guaran Indian language, a 

 name which also was adopted in the European lan- 

 guages. The name Armadillo is of Spanish origin 

 and literally signifies "the mail-clad," or "the ar- 

 mor-clad." This appellation is given to the Dasy- 

 pus sexcinctus (the Six-banded Armadillo) in pref- 

 erence, the others of the tribe usually going by their 

 Guaran or other native names. 

 The Tatupoyu or One of the best-known Armadillos, 



Yellow-banded the Tatupoyu of the Guarani, which 

 Armadillo. means the Tatu with the Yellow 

 Hand {Dasypus villosus), a native of the Pampas 

 of Buenos Ayres, has the ugliest and clumsiest ap- 

 pearance of any of its relatives. The nape of the 

 neck is covered with a row of nine oblong, quadran- 

 gular scutes or shields, the fore part of the back 

 has seven lateral and five median rows of irregular, 

 hexagonal plates. This shoulder armor is adjoined 

 to the rear by six separate, movable bands or girdles 

 of oblong, four-cornered scutes and then comes the 

 posterior armor, consisting of ten rows of oblong, 

 . four-cornered plates. The color of the scales is a 

 brownish yellow, but sometimes they become light 



selves. At the entrance the hole is circular and has 

 a diameter of from eight to twenty-four inches, ac- 

 cording to the size of the animal; towards the lower 

 end the tunnel widens and finally assumes the shape 

 of a chamber so that the animal can comfortably 

 turn around in it. In the wilderness they move 

 about by daylight, when the sky is cloudy and the 

 glaring sunlight does not annoy and daze them; in 

 populated localities they do not leave their holes 

 before the fall of dusk and then rove about all night. 

 It appears to be a matter of indifference to them, 

 whether they come back to their holes or not; for if 

 they miss their way, they forthwith dig a new bur- 

 row. They have a two-fold purpose in doing so. 

 Azara observed, and other naturalists confirmed his 

 observations, that the Armadillos excavate their 

 burrows chiefly under the hills of Ants or Termites, 

 as this location puts them in a position favorable' 

 for gathering their principal food with the greatest 

 convenience by day as well as by night. Besides 

 Ants and Termites their food consists chiefly of bugs 

 and their grubs, Caterpillars, Locusts and Earth- 

 worms. It is also established beyond doubt, that 

 the Armadillos feed on plants, for these latter have 



