196 EIGHTEEN-BANDED ARMADILLO. 



head-piece, as also the shells on his legs, are com- 

 posed of roundish scales, a quarter of an inch 

 over. His neck-piece is a single plate, composed 

 of little pieces, a quarter of an inch square. His 

 shoulder-piece consisteth of several ranks or rows 

 of such-like square pieces, but not set together by 

 any articulation or moveable conjunction. His 

 back-piece, reaching also over his buttocks to his 

 tail, is composed of several plates, in number 

 eighteen, moveably joined together by as many 

 intermediate skins. The foremost and greatest of 

 these plates consist of square pieces, half an inch 

 long, and a quarter broad. The hindermost, of 

 square and round ones together. The extreme 

 part of the shell, next the tail, is parabolic. The 

 fore part of the tail is surrounded with six rings; 

 consisting of little square pieces. The other half 

 with scales. His breast, belly, and ears, all naked. " 



This species seems most allied to the Twelve- 

 banded Armadillo. It appears not to have been 

 figured by any author except Grew, whose repre- 

 sentation is far from elegant, but which, for the 

 satisfaction of the reader, it was thought proper 

 to introduce. 



The name unicinctus, applied, as a trivial, by 

 Linnaeus, must be confessed to be not very pro- 

 per; since it seems to imply a simple or undivided 

 zone on the animal, instead of eighteen. 



The following are clearly no other than varie- 

 ties, viz. the Seven-banded of Linn ecus, Am. Acad. 



