at ee ee es es Pe F eed i Soe 
are both 
and 
1884.] The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition. 583 
once kept a young Tamanduá pequeno in the house for two or 
three weeks, feeding it on milk, which it sucked or lapped from 
a saucer. It became quite tame, following us about awkwardly 
by walking on the sides of its feet; if allowed to do so it would 
climb to our laps, clinging tenaciously to trousers or skirt by 
holding the cloth with its strong hooked claws turned back on the 
palms. Though this specimen was a mere baby the claws were 
formidably strong, and after one or two trials none of us cared to 
trust our fingers to them. When first brought to the house it 
expressed its fear by short whines or grunts, and afterward it 
gave vent to similar cries when hungry. It was fond of heat, 
often stretching itself on the ground in the sunshine with all four 
wide apart. Like all young specimens this was much paler 
in color than the adults, approaching to yellowish-white. Occa- 
sionally old tamanduas are found with the same tint, and the 
hunters regard these as a distinct species, but I believe that they 
are albinic varieties, 
Three kinds of armadillos or tatis are mentioned by the 
hunters in Rio Grande; of these we obtained two, belonging to 
different genera, The larger, which sometimes grows to a length 
of three feet, seems to be almost exclusively a feeder on carrion; 
it makes deep burrows, breaking the earth with its strong 
claws, and sometimes it is said digging into graves. The other 
s Much smaller, never more than eighteen inches long, and 
it feeds on White ants, small fruits and so on ; tame ones make 
a amusing pets, running about the house and poking their 
MQuisitive noses into every crevice. This kind is eaten, the 
mas being White and very good; but it is a singular fact that 
i will not touch it. A still smaller tati, sometimes seen here, 
characterized by a truncated and somewhat hairy shell. All 
>S Species live in clearings, fachinal forest or open campo; 
never, I believe, in the main forest. 
A large Opossum is common in the woods, living in hollow 
and eating small birds, etc. It is strictly nocturnal, and 
i tly is quite unable to see during the day time; the 
senerally take it alive, carrying it by the tail. When 
“Sd it hisses much like a goose, and tries to bite. It is 
Sly tenacious of life, living after its back bone and skull 
br oken ; I have even known one to live for some time, 
: to walk and bite, after its heart was taken out. 
