NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO. 
221 
Armadillo Brazilianus. Briss., Regne Animal, 40. 
“ Mexicanus. “ “ 41. 
“ Guyanenrir. “ “ 42. 
Cachicame. Buffon, Hist. Nat., x. p. 250. 
Tatou Noir. D’Azara, Paraguay, vol. ii. p. 17 5. 
Tatu Pepa. Marc., Brazil, 231. 
Nine, Eight, or Seven banded Armadillo. Pennant’s Quadrupeds, Synopsis, pp. 
324, 253. 
Pig-headed Armadillo. Grew, Mus, p. 19, t. i. 
Six-banded Armadillo. Shaw’s General Zoology, vol. i., part 1, p. 189. 
Gurteltiiier mit Achtzehn Gurteln. Schreb., pp. 227, 228. 
DESCRIPTION. 
This singular production of nature, it might be said, resembles a small 
pig saddled with the shell of a turtle ; it is about the size of a large opos- 
sum ; the head is small, and greatly elongated, and the neck can be 
retracted so far as to entirely withdraw the head under the shell. Muzzle, 
narrow and pointed ; mouth, large ; tongue, aculeated, and can be drawn 
out three inches beyond the nose. 
The head and nose are covered with rather small plates irregu- 
larly shaped, most of them hexagonal. There are on the back nine 
transverse bands in the specimen from which we describe, although the 
number of bands is occasionally only seven or eight. The shoulders, 
hams, and rump are protected by two plates, covered with large scales 
regularly arranged in distinct rows following the direction of the movable 
transverse bands, and descending lower towards the ground than the 
bands, forming a sort of flap over the shoulders and over the hips like the 
skirt of a saddle. Thus the covering of the head may be compared to a 
helmet, and that of the shoulders and on the hind parts to breast-plates 
and thigh-pieces, the whole forming an almost impenetrable coat-of-mail. 
The tail is protected by numerous rings, furnished with scales of the 
same substance, shape, and hardness, as those on other parts of the upper 
surface of the body. The texture of this shell-like covering of the Arma- 
dillo appears to be something between turtle-shell or horn, and very hard 
sole-leather. The eyes are small, and placed far back in the head, on a 
line with the corner of the mouth. 
Legs, short and stout ; nails, strong, sharp, very slightly hooked, and 
not channelled beneath ; there are four toes on each fore-foot, the middle 
ones being much the longest, and the outer, shorter, and situated far 
behind ; there are five toes on the hind-feet, the central being longest, the 
first and fifth shortest, and the two others nearly of an equal length. Ears, 
long, narrow, and pointed, destitute of hair, and the skin on their upper 
