562 
The Hijlory of A N I M A L S. 
Dajypus cingulis novem. 
The Dajypus, with nine belts. 
The head of this fpecies is oblong and {lender ; it is rounded at the forehead, where 
it is largeft, and thence gradually tapers to the fnout, where it is narrower and fharp- 
er than in any other fpecies: the eyes are black and large, but they do not ftand pro¬ 
minent, but are rather funk in the head : the ears are fhort, but they are ered and 
patulous; the noftrils are fmall, and the mouth alfo is fmall, and is furnifhed with 
whifkers : the neck is fhort and thick; the body is oblong, confiderably broad, and 
elevated a great deal on the back : the tail is fhort, and very thick at it’s bafe, but it 
tapers to a point: the legs are fhort, but they are robuft ; the forefeet have only three 
toes each, the hinder ones have five; they are long and {lender, and are armed with 
very long and fharp claws. 
. This is a na ti v e of many parts of South America ; it is alfo common to the Eaft In¬ 
dies, and to fome parts of Africa. It burrows holes for itfelf in the ground, and lives 
in them in the manner of the badger. Few of the writers on beads have diftinguifh- 
ed it with any degree of accuracy; they have probably confounded it with the com¬ 
mon armadilla, for it is fcarce poflible it fhould have wholly efcaped them. 
T A L P A. 
T H E feet of the Talpa are conftrudted in an elegant and fingular manner 3 they 
have the form of hands, and are calculated for digging. It has no external 
ears. 
Talpa caudata . 
The tailed Talpa . 
This is a little animal, and very feldom comes in fight, it’s natural habitation being 
under-ground j it is nearly of the bignefs of the common rat in the body, but fome- 
what longer, and lefs corpulent: and the legs are extreamly fhort, neither has it the 
long tail of that creature, fo that it does not in the lead refemble it in form : the head 
is large at the forehead, but it thence becomes fmall at the fnout, where it is formed 
fomewhat like that of the hog : the mouth is moderately large ; the teeth are {harp, 
and fome of them are divided or terminated by leveral points, as in the mus araneus: 
the heck is extreamly fhort; there fcarce feems, indeed, to be any, but the head 
may be faid to be affixed between the fhoulders: the body is long and rounded ; the 
tail is very fhort and hairy, there are no external ears; it has been faid alfo that the 
creature has no eyes, but this is a vulgar error; the eyes are indeed extreamly fmall, 
and are not eafily feen, unlefs the hair about the top of the head be blown upon, fe» 
as to feparate it; but then we fee, in the proper place, two very bright and black eyes, 
though not larger than the heads of fmall pins: the legs are very fhort, and the feet 
broad; the toes are five on each: the fore-legs have the vola of the foot extended 
into a kind of palm, like that of the human hand; and the claws on the toes are 
larger, broader, and more robuft than on any other animal of a proportionate fize: 
the {kin is thick, and the fur which covers it is a very fine and foft down, of a bluifh- 
black colour. We have feen fome quite white, but this is an accident that happens to 
birds as well as quadrupeds. 
It is frequent in our paftures, burrowing at a fmall depth under-ground : it feeds 
on worms, and on the roots of grafs, and is very mifchievous, by throwing up the 
ground. 
Talpa 
