189 



SIX-BANDED ARMADILLO. 



Dasypus Sexcinctus. Z>. cingulis senis, pedibus pentadactylis . Lin. 



Syst.Nat.p. 54. 

 Armadillo with six bands, and five-toed feet. 

 Tatu, v. Armadillo prima Marcgravii. Raj. Quadr. 233. 

 Armadillo. Olear. mus. p. 7. /. 6.f. 4. 

 Encoubert, ou Tatou a six bandes. Buff. 10. p. 209. pi. 42. and 



suppl.3.p. 2S5.pl. 57. 



This is also a species of great elegance; and, 

 in its general appearance, mnch resembles the 

 former ; but is furnished with six bands instead of 

 three : the tail is very thick at the base, and is 

 short in proportion to the animal; the claws are 

 very large and strong. The bands are marked 

 into oblong squares, as in the former. 



VAR. 



This animal appears to vary as to the number 

 of its bands : the specimens both in the British 

 and Leverian Museums having eight bands in- 

 stead of six ; in all other respects they agree with 

 the six-banded one. A particular character of 

 this species seems to be the remarkable breadth 

 and flatness of the head, which is larger in pro- 

 portion than in others of the genus. The Leve- 

 rian eight-banded variety is of a very fair yellow- 

 ish-white: that in the British Museum is of a 

 much deeper colour, approaching to an iron-grey, 

 but whitish in some parts. 



