154 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



he may commit upon the tortoise will be nothing, or a 

 mere trifle. The tiger's teeth cannot penetrate its shell, 

 nor can a stroke of his paws do it any damage. It is 

 of so compact and strong a nature, that there is a com- 

 mon saying, a London waggon might roll over it and 

 not break it. 



Ere we proceed, let us take a retrospective view of 

 the five animals just enumerated ; they are all quad- 

 rupeds, and have some very particular mark, or mode of 

 existence) different from aU other animals. The sloth 

 has four feet, but never can use them to support his 

 body on the earth ; they want soles, which are a marked 

 feature in the feet of other animals. The ant-bear has 

 not a tooth in his head, still he roves fearless on, in 

 the same forests#with the jaguar and boa constrictor. 

 The vampire does not make use of his feet to walk, but 

 to stretch a membrane, whiqh enables him to go up into 

 an element, where no othor quadruped is seen. The 

 armadillo has only here and there a straggling hair, and 

 has neither fur, nor wool, nor bristles^ but in lieu of 

 them has received a movable shell, on which are scales 

 very much like those of fishes. The tortoise is oviparous, 

 entirely without any appearance of hair, and is obliged 

 to accommodate itself to a shell which is quite hard 

 and inflexible, and in no point of view whatever 

 obedient to the will or pleasure of the bearer. The egg 

 of the tortoise has a very hard shell, while that of the 

 turtle is quite soft. 



In some parts of these forests I saw the 

 Yanilla growing luxuriantly. It creeps up 

 the trees to the height of thirty or forty feet. I found 

 it difficult to get a ripe pod, as the monkeys are very 

 fond of it, and generally take care to get there before 



