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like the dormouse and the badger, sleep during the 

 winter, which is probably in a great measure owing 

 to the mildness of the climate. These animals were 

 formerly eaten by the inhabitants, but at present 

 they make no use of them whatever. 



The coviir^ known to naturalists by the name of 

 tqtou, and by the Spaniards called the armadilló^ from 

 the upper part of its body being covered with a kind 

 of bony armour, is very common in Cujo, where it 

 is called qulriquincho. It is of various sizes, being 

 from six to thirteen inches long, a magnitude, how- 

 ever, much inferior to what it attains in the tropical 

 regions, in its external appearance, its fatness, and 

 the bristles which cover the lower part of the body, 

 the covur resembles the guinea-pig. Its head is long, 

 but the nose is short ; it has no teeth except grind- 

 ers ; the eyes are small, the ears naked, and the tail is 

 long and scaly like that of a rat. The number of the 

 toes vary according to the species. The bony ar- 

 mour which covers the body of the animal is com- 

 posed of two parts, divided into several bands let into 

 each other, so that the animal can at its pleasure 

 dilate or contract them. The females are very pro- 

 lific ; they have four young at a birth, and breed 

 every month. The flesh is delicate, and much pre- 

 ferable to that of the guinea-pig. 



In the vallics of the Andes are found four species 

 of this animal : 



- The pïchï^ or four banded covur, which is about 

 six inches in length. 



The hairy, or the eight banded, which is sevçn 

 inches long, and covered with hair as well above as 

 below. 



