A YOUNG NATURALIST. C9 



all, that, in a moment, our travelling gear was scattered again 

 on the ground. The first thing we did was to take a bath ; then 

 the thought struck us that we had better wash our clothes. 

 Lucien, helped by I'Encuerado, who had nothing to wash for 

 himself, as he wore his leather garment next to his skin, laughed 

 heartily at seeing us turned into washerwomen; still he did not 

 do his part of the work at all badly. He then undertook to, wash 

 Gringalet, whose white coat, spotted with black, was sadly in 

 want of cleansing. Unfortunately, the dog was hardly out of the 

 water when he began rolling himself in the dust, and, as dirty as 

 ever, came frisking around his disappointed little master.' 



We were roaming about in every direction, in the hope of col- 

 lecting some insects, when Gringalet pricked up his ears and 

 showed his teeth. The rustling of dry leaves attracted our 

 attention to a slope opposite to us, on which an armadillo was 

 seen. 



Generally speaking, these animals only go out for food in the 

 night. This one, which we saw in broad daylight, was about the 

 size of a large rabbit. Pricking up its ears, it raised its taper- 

 ing muzzle so as to snuff closer to the branches. Its head, 

 which was very small, gave it a very grotesque appearance. 

 Suddenly it began scratching up the earth with its front paws, 

 furnished with formidable claws, and now and then poked its 

 pointed nose into the hole it had dug. I had crossed the stream, 

 and was advancing cautiously towards the animal, when I saw 

 it leave oiF its work ; and, bending down its head uneasily, as 

 quick as lightning it rolled itself up into a ball and glided 

 down the slope. Just at my feet it stopped, and I only had 

 to stoop down in order to pick it up. Gringalet, who then 

 appeared at the top of the slope, was evidently the cause of 

 its sudden flight. 



1 rejoined my companions, carrying my prisoner, who tried 

 neither to defend itself nor to escape. Lucien examined with 

 curiosity the scales which crossed the back of the armadillo, and 

 its pink transparent skin. I told him that this inoffensive ani- 

 mal, which feeds on insects and roots, belonged to the order 

 Edentata— mammals in which the system of teeth is incomplete. 



