Page:Charles Catton, Animals (1788).pdf/65



we peak of a quadruped, imagination repreents an animal covered with hair; as when we mention a bird, or a fih, to the one we attribute feathers, to the other cales; and thee ditinctions, at the firt, appear to mark the boundary of each pecies; yet nature, as if in defiance of rule, and wihing to atonih as much by particular exceptions as by general laws, o blends her everal productions, that it is no eay matter to draw a ditinguihing line, and ay to which clas an animal, whoe tail is covered with cales, belongs or of which family one incloed in large cales or hells is a part. It therefore becomes us not to judge by one character only, which o often is incomplete.

The Armadillo is one intance among everal of a quadruped covered not with hair, but with a hell or hells. Of this animal there are everal kinds, whoe variety conits in the number of the bands of hell which encircle or cover them; to ome the incrutation is divided into only three ditinct pieces, to other into ix, eight, nine, twelve, and eighteen pieces; which have been conidered by ome as marks of age; but, in general, with more propriety, have been regarded as different kinds.

The bands of hell lap over one another, and are united by a membrane, like the hell to the tail of a lobter; this hell, or combination of hells, covers the head, the upper part of the body, and the tail; the throat and belly being the only parts not ecured: this deficiency is provided againt by the power the Armadillo has of rolling itelf up like a ball, and thereby covering the vulnerable parts. In time of danger, when it cannot make good its retreat to its hole, it brings the head and feet cloe to the belly, and, bending the back, forms nearly a phere, the tail laps over the joining, and makes a firmer hold; in this form it defies the attack of any quadruped, and a patient uffering of inult generally proves its ecurity; but man, whoe power is over the whole creation, whoe power and pereverance is irreitible when any good is to be obtained, or any luxury enjoyed, oon convinces the poor Armadillo of its danger, by expoing it to the fire, which makes it quickly unroll.

The mall kind of this animal are eteemed very nice eating, and are therefore hunted with avidity; dogs are ued to purue them, who impede their flight by making them roll themelves up, when they become an eay prey to man. As they run pretty fat, if a few minutes are allowed, they immediately fall to work, and eek ecurity by burrowing in the ground, which they do with great celerity, and mut then be dug out. Their accutomed abode is in holes of coniderable depth, and, as they wander only by night, and then not far, ome indutry is required in ecuring them.

The colour of the hell of the Armadillo is a greyih yellow; that part of the head which is not covered, is a blackih brown, the belly a yellowih white, which bears evident marks of a tendency to oify; the feet a flehy red colour, are potted. Are natives of South America, particularly the Brails; about 14 or 18 inches long; the larger kind 2 feet.