ARMADILLOS. 353 



and habits of the ant-eaters ; but, as I did not come across them, 

 I must refer all students to his elaborate book.* 



Armadillos {Dasypodidce). 



" The family of the tatus or armadillos is a very natural one, 

 though it can be diyided into several genera, f These animals, 

 instead of being covered by fur or hair, have a kind of carapace, 

 formed by an osseous shell, composed of polygonal scales. These 

 scales, moreover, placed in transversal rows, form a shield on the 

 head, an extensive buckler between the shoulders, and another on 

 the posterior. Between these shields are transverse bands, more 

 or less numerous, according to the species, and movable, so as to 

 allow the animal to bend its body. The tail, also, with most 

 species, is covered by scales ; but in some species the scales are 

 reduced to a kind of tubercle. In their general shape all the 

 tatus resemble one another ; they have a thick body, short legs, 

 small head, the muzzle prolonged, and the upper part of the skull 

 flattened ; the eyes are small, and placed sideways ; the ears, 

 horn-shaped, are pointed, rather long, and movable. They have 

 always five toes on their hind-legs, and four or five on the fore- 

 legs, according to the species ; all the toes are armed with long 

 hooked nails, for burrowing. 



" By their dental system they are divided into three genera : 

 Priodontes, Dasypus, and Tatusia. 



" Priodontes has one species only, and it is the largest animal 

 now existing of the tatu family, the giant armadillo — Dasypus gigas 

 (G. Cuvier), Priodontes giganteus (Lesson), tatu canastra or tatu 

 assii of the natives. It is rather rare, not found in the valley of 

 the Sao Francisco, except north of 19° S. lat. It inhabits also the 

 provinces of Mato Grosso and Goyaz, and the north of Paraguay. 

 It digs great burrows. Like the other tatus, its chief food consists 

 of insects (notably, the masses of larvae in the ant-hills and the 

 great nests of the termites), and of tubers abundant in the campos ; 

 but it also devours the flesh of the dead animals it comes across. 



" Dasypus gilvipes, Illiger {Dasypus with ash-coloured feet), tatu 



* "Climats, Faune,'' etc., p. 355, et seq. 

 t Ibid., pp. 343, et seq. 



2 A 



