102 
FINDING NATURE’S TREASURES 
One of the babies stopped and dug a little hole with 
his front feet. He put his nose down into the hole and 
caught something in his mouth. He began to pull. It was 
a big earthworm. Soon another baby ran up and tried 
to take it away from him. 
“Fred, you and Buddy may catch one of the babies if 
you want to,” continued Uncle Jack. “But you will have 
to run fast to do it.” 
The boys ran out from behind the brush. Mother 
Armadillo and the babies went scampering away, but 
Fred caught one of them. He held it by the tail, because 
he was afraid it would bite. 
“It will not bite you,” said Uncle Jack, as he took it 
and held it in his arms. “Armadillos don't have any 
teeth in the front part of their mouths; so they can't 
bite. The teeth with which they chew their food are in 
the back part of their mouths.” 
“There are nine rings of shell across its back,” said 
Marylee, counting. 
“And rings all along its tail, too,” added Bess. 
“That is so he can roll himself into a ball to keep from 
being hurt,” said Uncle Jack. “He has a shell on the 
front of his head, too. The shell on this baby is not very 
hard, but it will be harder when he is grown.” 
“What big claws he has!” exclaimed Marylee. “He 
must be a digger for insects and worms.” 
“Yes,” said Uncle Jack; “armadillos also dig holes in 
the ground to live in. They stay there during the day 
and come out to feed at night. These babies got so hun¬ 
gry they couldn't wait for dark.” 
