Mm ARMADILLO/ 
finals are taken alive. The instant the armadillo 
perceives itself in the power of its enemies, it has 
but one last resource, to roll itself up, and thus 
patiently wait whatever tortures they think pro- 
per to inflict. The flesh of the smaller kinds is 
said to be delicate eating ; so that we may suppose 
they receive no mercy. For this reason they are 
pursued with unceasing industry ; and, although 
they burrow very deep in the earth, there have 
been many expedients used to force them out. 
The hunters sometimes contrive to fill the hole 
with smoke, which is often successful ; they at 
other times force it by pouring in water. They 
also bring up a small kind of dogs to the chase, 
that quickly overtake them, if at any distance 
from their burrow, and oblige them to roll them- 
selves up in a ball, in which figure the hunters 
carry them home. If, however, the armadillo be 
near a precipice, it often escapes by rolling itself 
up, and then tumbling down from rock to rock, 
without the least danger or inconvenience. They 
are sometimes taken in snares laid for them by the 
sides of rivers and low moist places* which they 
particularly frequent ; and this method, in gene-* 
ral, succeeds better than any of the former, as 
their burrows are very deep, and they seldom 
stir out except in the night. At no time are they 
found at any great distance from their retreats, 
so that it requires some patience and skill to 
intercept their retreat. 
There are scarce any of these that do not root 
the ground like a hog, in search of such roots as 
make a principal part of their food. They live 
also upon melons and other succulent vegetables, 
and all will eat flesh when they can get it. They 
frequent water and watery places, where they 
feed upon worms, small fish, and water insects. 
It is pretended that there is a kind of friendship 
