ARMADILLO. 187 



&c. In a state of captivity they readily eat ani- 

 mal food, and that in considerable quantity. 



They are themselves considered as excellent 

 food, and are, therefore, dug out of their subter- 

 raneous cavities, and sold for the table. When 

 old, however, their flesh acquires a strong musky 

 scent, and becomes unfit for use. When attacked, 

 the Armadillos roll themselves up into the form of 

 a ball, and thus become, in a degree, invulnerable. 

 Nothing can exceed the curious mechanism by 

 which this is performed ; nor is it possible to view 

 without admiration the appearance of the animal 

 thus coiled up, and secured from common con- 



tingencies. 



Armadillos are said to drink frequently, and 

 they often grow extremely fat. They are very 

 prolific animals, and are said to breed three or 

 four times a year, and to bring several young at a 

 birth. The species are determined by the num- 

 ber of shelly zones on the body. In enumerating 

 these, however, it is remarkable that most au- 

 thors vary; and the exact discrimination of all the 

 species seems yet a desideratum in natural history. 

 This, perhaps, arises partly from the inattention 

 of draughtsmen and engravers, when representing 

 the animals, and partly from different authors 

 counting differently the bands on some of the 

 species ; which are so placed as to make it diffi- 

 cult, in some instances, to distinguish the ultimate 

 or bounding zones of the body, from the scaly 

 divisions on the fore and hind parts of the animal, 

 and which, like the bands, are disposed into a 



