The sarigue, or the fecundo, according to Azara, is an animal peculiar to America. There are several species of them, but the common characters of all are, a trian gular face, very sharp and long ; eyes oblique, and jut ting out; a wide mouth, and better furnished with teeth than that of any other animal ; long whiskers ; round ears, which are naked and transparent ; a short neck ; and long tail, which is thick and vigorous, and almost entirely covered with scales, and which it uses in climbing trees, performing this operation with great facility, and even walls, if the surface be at all rough. The dugs of the female are placed in the form of an ellipse, with one in the centre ; and, as soon as she has brought forth her young, she applies each of them to a dug, which it never leaves until it is able to walk and eat alone. The largest of these animals is about 11- foot long in the body, and 13 inches in the tail. They inha bit the plains in preference to the woods, and hide them selves in bushes or tufts of long grass, or in holes which they dig in the ground. They live upon insects, eggs, small lizards, and mice. They also cat fruit, and are very destructive to poultry ; but, when they kill a fowl, they in general merely lick the blood.
The tatoo, or armadillo, is very common over all the continent of South America, which is their native and exclusive clime. The body and legs of this animal are very thick, the neck very short, and the claws strong, crooked, and of a great length. Its head is pointed at the snout, the eyes small, and the tongue very long and flexible. A testaceous crust, resembling a coat of mail, extends over the head, back, and tail ; and its belly and breast are covered with scaly tubercles, from which spring long bristles. The scales of the forehead, as well as those upon the shoulders and the buttocks, are. not susceptible of flexibility, or motion ; but those of the body and the tail are disposed in transversal bands, join ed to each other by membranes, which allow the animal to stretch or contract itself at pleasure. The tatoos live in burrows under ground, which they dig with great fa cility, the mole not being more expert ; and, indeed, this is their only means of defence, for their motion is so slow, that, when pursued by a man, they must inevita bly be taken, unless they escape into the earth. This animal feeds upon worms, insects, ants, and carrion, but never drinks. Its flesh is fat and delicate, and equal to that of a sucking pig. M. Azara has enumerated eight species of the armadillo, of which the largest is the great or giant tatoo, whose body measures 381 inches in length, and its tail 184 ; and the smallest, or tatec pithy, is only 10 inches long without the tail, which is 44.
The cuiy is a remarkable animal, about a foot long, with a thick, nervous tail, nine inches in length, and entirely bare towards the extremity. The muzzle is
adorned with whiskers ; the mouth and teeth like those of a mouse ; the eye very small ; and the ear short and without hair, and entirel) concealed under bristles. These bristles, which are very sharp and strong, defend the head, body, and part of the tail ; and those on the tape of the neck arc about two inches long. There are none, however, on the feet or belly, which are covered with brown hair. The female brings forth only one at a time. She has two paps on the pectoral muscles, and one about an inch farther down. The cuiy climbs the largest trees with the greatest facility ; and can stand firm upon the point of a vertical pole without support ing itself by the tail, which it only uses when descend ing. It is, however, a most phlegmatic and indolent animal. 111. Azara, who kept one in his chamber for nearly a year, observed that it never slimed the least sign of joy, sorrow, or gratitude, but, on the contrary, the greatest stupidity, sluggishness, and indifference. It would remain a whole clay, sometimes two, without changing its posture, or even moving ; and always rest ed on its hind paws, with its fore-feet in the air, and its body bent forward. Nothing disturbed it, and it cared not who entered, or who went out. Once a day it ate fruits and vegetables, which it held in its paws, but very little at a time, and never drank. This animal is found chiefly in the forests of Paraguay.
These are the most remarkable among the quadru peds of this region. They bear no analogy to those of the old world ; and, from their nature and habits, seem to be intended to live for ever in the wilds and the de sert. Without almost any means of defence, or any re sources against the attacks of man, their numbers must be diminished as the inhabitants of the country increase ; and it is probable, that a considerable increase of popu lation will be followed with the total extermination of their species.
Besides these, are several varieties of animals com mon to the ancient continent, but which have been sup posed to have degenerated in an American climate. Such a supposition, however, is altogether erroneous ; ior some of them yield, neither in size, in fierceness, nor in strength, to those of any other quarter of the world. The tyger is larger, and is equal in ferocity to any of Africa. Dobrizhoffer mentions the skin of one m hich measured three ells and two inches in length. They kill and carry off oxen and horses; and one or two of them, says Bougucr, arc sufficient to desolate a pro vince. The stags and oxen arc also equal to those of Europe ; but the puma, or American lion, is much weak er and smaller than those of Africa, and are so cowardly, that they will fly from the barking of a dog.