[Illustration: ARMADILLOS.]
This family is remarkable for the very peculiar nature of their coat,
which, at first sight, might lead to their being taken for Reptiles.
Instead of being clad in hair, like other Mammals, they have the upper
part of the head, the top and sides of the body and the tail protected
by a scaly covering, very hard in its nature. This covering is composed
of a number of bony plates, arranged in parallel rows and of various
shapes; it is not separate from the skin, but forms a very curious
modification of it. On the head, and fore-part of the body, these plates
are firmly fixed to one another; but on the middle of the back they are
possessed of a certain amount of mobility, so as to move one over the
other. In this way, the animal has the power of executing various
bending and stretching movements, for instance, of rolling itself up
into a ball whenever it is attacked.
When pursued it makes hastily for its burrow, but if unable to gain it,
or to dig a temporary retreat, it partially rolls itself into a ball,
and allows itself to be turned about by its enemy without attempting to
move. The Armadillo, we are told, in Nicaragua is kept not only by the
people of the ranches, but by the inhabitants of some of the little
towns, to free their houses from ants, which it can follow by scent.
When searching for ants about a house, the animal puts out its tongue
and licks the ants into its mouth from around the posts on which the
houses are raised a little above the ground. It has been known to dig
down under the floors, and remain absent for three or four weeks at a
time. They are said to dig down in a straight direction when they
discover a subterranean colony of ants, without beginning at the mouth
or entrance of the ant-hole. They are very persevering when in pursuit
of ants; and while they turn up light soil with the snout, keep the
tongue busy taking the insects. The burrows of this Armadillo are
several feet long, winding and generally dug at an angle of 45 degrees.
The South American negroes, however, dig them up from their holes,
whither they have been driven by Dogs. Their flesh is considered very
delicate, and is roasted in the shell.