THE ARMADILLOS— THREE-BANDED. 



391 



Economic Value The usefulness of the Armadillos is 

 ofArma- by no means inconsiderable. The 

 dillos. Indians are exceedingly fond of 



the flesh of all the species, Europeans eating only 

 that of two kinds. Kappler says that their flesh 

 loses its unpleasant odor of musk if it is soaked over 

 night in a solution of salt and lemon juice. Reng- 

 ger says that the flesh of an Armadillo, fried and 

 seasoned with Spanish pepper and lemon juice, is 

 one of the most palatable of dishes. The Indians 

 of Paraguay manufacture small baskets out of the 

 shell; the Botocudos make speaking-tubes from the 

 skin of the tail which they strip off in one piece; 

 formerly bodies of guitars were made out of the 

 shields. 



THE THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. 



The still less known Three -banded Armadillos, 

 called Apar or Mataco by the natives and Bolita 

 by the Spaniards (Tolypeutes tricinctus), is the repre- 

 sentative of another species, the first appellation of 

 which was said to refer to a shell which had been 



says, in the open country, but Goering could not 

 learn whether or not it excavated burrows. The 

 natives occasionally capture it when out hunting 

 other Armadillos, the flesh of which, as has been 

 said, constitutes a favorite dish with the Gauchos. 

 But as the Mataco is a pretty creature, it is usually 

 the recipient of mercy and is kept as a pet. 

 The Bolita a Fa- The children play with it, roll it 

 uorite Pet for back and forth or let it run along a 

 Children. board and rejoice in the clattering 

 which the contact of its feet with the plank pro- 

 duces. Goering had many visitors who begged to 

 be shown the animal. Though it had not been long 

 in confinement, it showed great docility, and from 

 the first moment it would without any hesitancy 

 take food proffered in one's hand. It would eat all 

 kinds of fruit and leaves, especially peaches, gourds 

 and lettuce, never refusing food when it was offered 

 it. On account of the smallness of the aperture 

 of its mouth, the food had to be cut into small 

 pieces, which it took very daintily. It slept by day 

 as well as by night. When sleeping, it would stretch 





THE GIANT TATU. This large member of the Armadillo family has other peculiarities besides its great size. It is thoroughly protected 



by its armor, and other distinguishing features shown in the picture are its long armored tail and its especially long and strong claws. Altogether it 

 is admirably endowed for a digging and insect-hunting life. {Priodon gigas.) 



artificially put together. Azara, however, early gave 

 so clear a description that the existence of the ani- 

 mal could no longer be doubted. He says that the 

 Mataco does not exist in Paraguay, first being found 

 south of the 36th parallel of south latitude. " Some 

 call it Bolita, because it is the only Tatu, which, 

 when it is frightened, or apprehends capture, con- 

 ceals its head, its tail and its four legs, forming a 

 ball out of its body, which one can roll in all direc- 

 tions without its relaxing itself. One can open this 

 ball only by the exercise of great strength." 



Its length , from the tip of the snout to the ex- 

 tremity of the tail is eighteen inches; the tail meas- 

 ures not quite three inches and is round or conical 

 ■at the tip and compressed horizontally at the base; 

 neither are the scales like those of the others of the 

 ;Species, having somewhat the aspect of stout grains 

 and being very prominent. 



Habitat of the Anton Goering obtained a living Bo- 



'Bolita or Hta from San Luis in western Argen- 



Mataeo. tinja^ which is its true native country 



or at least the country where it occurs most fre- 



■quently. There the animal lives, exactly as Azara 



out its fore-legs, draw in the hinder ones, lie down 

 on them- and on its abdomen, and hide its head be- 

 tween its fore-legs. The back always looked much 

 curved: no matter what attitude it assumed, the ani- 

 mal could not really straighten itself. Though it ate. 

 and ran about quietly in the presence of Several 

 persons, it drew itself together whenever it was 

 touched, and when pressed, it rolled up into an 

 impenetrable ball. When the annoyance ceased, it 

 gradually unrolled itself again and resumed its wan- 

 derings. 



THE PRIODONS. 



Another species- {Priodon) inhabits the woodland 

 of Brazil and Guiana. Prince Wied everywhere was 

 assured of its existence, but never could succeed 

 in either seeing or procuring a specimen. He be- 

 lieves that it is distributed over the greater part of 

 Brazil, and perhaps is found throughout all South 

 America. In the extensive virgin forests his hunters 

 often found boles or burrows, especially under the 

 roots of old trees, from the dimensions of which 

 conclusions could be drawn as to the size of the ani- 



