ARMADILLO. 18? 
kc. In a state of captivity they readily eat ani- 
mal food, and that in considerable quantity. 
They are themselves considered as excellent 
food, and are, therefore, dug out of their subter- 
raneous cavities, and sold for the table. When 
old, hovvwer, their flesh acquires a strong musky 
scent, and becomes unfit for use. When attacked, 
the Armadillos roll themselves up into the form of 
a ball, and thus become, in a degree, invulnerable. 
Nothing can exceed the curious mechanism by 
Avhich this is performed ; nor is it possible to view 
without admiration the appearance of the animal 
thus coiled up, and secured from common con- 
tingencies. 
Armadillos are said to drink frequently, and 
they often grow extremely fat. They are very 
prolific animals, and are said to breed three or 
four times a year, and to bring several young at a 
birth. The species are determined by the num- 
ber of shelly zones on the body. In enumerating 
these, however, it is remarkable that most au- 
thors vary; and the exact discrimination of all the 
species seems yet a desideratum in natural history. 
This, perhaps, arises partly from the inattention 
of draughtsmen and engravers, when representing 
the animals, and partly from different authors 
counting differently the bands on some of the 
species ; which are so placed as to make it diffi- 
cult, in some instances, to distinguish the ultimate 
or bounding zones of the body, from the scaly 
divisions on the fore and hind parts of the animal, 
and which, like the bands, are disposed into a 
