II. 



LIVING BALLS. 



Many animals have the power of rolling them- 

 selves into a ball, not only to sleep, but for 

 protection from enemies stronger than them- 

 selves, with whom they could not fight. Perhaps 

 the most interesting of these is a little-known 

 animal of South America, the ball armadillo, or 

 — in the books — the Dasypus apar. 



This creature, scarcely more than a foot long, 

 is nearly covered by a horny case, curiously 

 divided into six-sided plates, with three bands 

 around his body. He looks funny enough when 

 walking about, exactly as if he had a decorated 

 blanket over him held in place by three girdles. 

 Over his wide face, almost hiding his eyes, is a 

 pointed shield of the same horny substance, and 

 another protects the top of his short tail. 



This queer fellow delights in turning himself 

 into a ball. If he is in the least afraid of 

 anything, or if a friend is too rough, he rolls up 

 with a snap, like a spring, and sometimes the 

 rough-handed friend gets his fingers nipped be- 

 tween the sharp edges of his case. 



