III. The En-codicil's, or third division of Baron Cuvier, have 5 toes on the fore feet, and 9 or 10 teeth throughout, but they are principally distinguished by having 2 teeth in the intermaxillary bones of the upper jaw, representing, as it were, the incisor teeth of ordinary mammals, and thus forming an exception, not only to the other Armadillos, but even to the order of Rdentata, which are principally characterised by their want of teeth of this deeeription.
5. D. Encoubert (Deamaremt), D. sexciactua (Linnaeus), the Poyou, or Yellow-Footed Armadillo (for thus Azara interprets the name), mea sores about 16 inches from the nose to the origin of the tail, which is itself about half the length of the body. The head is large, flat, and nearly triangular, the face short, the muzzle obtuse, the ears erect and of moderate size, and the eye small. The number of moveable bands varies from 7 to 8, according to the individual ; the tail is surrounded at the base with three or four bony rings, but throughout the rest of its length it is merely covered with regular tuberculous scales ; the inter stices of the moveable bands give origin to a great number of long bristly gray hairs, and the female is provided with only two pectoral mamma. But independently of all other considerations, the Tatu Poyou is easily distinguished from all the other armadillos by the unusual flatness and broadness of its body, and the consequent com parative shortness of its legs. It is very common in Paraguay, and burrows in the ground with an almost incredible agility. Its strength and activity are very remarkable; and notwithstanding the shortness of its legs, it runs so swift that few men can outstrip it. It is of a restless unquiet character, bold, curious, and intrepid. When any noise is made at the entrance of its burrow, or when otherwise tor mented, it grunts like a young pig, and comes forth without fear to investigate the cause; yet when actually attacked it is incapable of making any sort of defence, and can only save itself by retreating to the bottom of its hole, or burrowing to a still greater depth. The Poyou feeds much upon carrion, and for this reason its flesh, though fat, is never eaten by the inhabitants of European origin, though the Indians make no distinction in this respect between it and the other armadillos. When it stops or rests, it has a custom of squatting close to the ground like a hare in her form, and in this situation the great breadth of the body is remarkably apparent, being nearly three times its height.
6. D. vinous (Demurest). the Hairy Armadillo, measures 14 inches in length from the nose to the origin of the tail; the head is nearly 4 inches in length, the ear two-thirds of an inch, and the tail 5 inches. In form and appearance this species bears a very strong resemblance to that last described, but it is of smaller size, and is comparatively better covered with hair, a circumstance from which it derives the name by which it is most usually distinguished. The head is triangular, the
muzzle pointed, the ears large, elliptical, and inclined outwards, and the number of moveable bands varies from 6 to 7 according to the individual. The border of the bucklers, as well as the lower side of the moveable bands, is indented in a remarkable manner, and forms sharp angular points, which serve to approximate the present species to the following, not less than to distinguish it from all the other known armadillos. There are eight teeth on each side, both above and below. Numerous long flexible brown hairs spring from every part of the body, but more especially from the sides and belly, and even cover the first half of the tail. The female, as in the Poyon, has only two pectoral mamma.
This species does not inhabit Paraguay, nor, as far as we are at present aware, any other part north of the Rio Plata, but it is found at every step on the pampas or plains of Buenos Ayres, south of that river. " In an expedition," says Azara, " which I made into the interior, between the parallels of 35° and 36° south latitude, I met with vast multitudes of this species of armadillo, so that there was scarcely an individual of the party who did not each day capture one or two at least ; for, unlike the Poyou, which moves abroad only during the night, this animal is to be found at all times, and upon being alarmed promptly conceals itself, if not intercepted. In March and April, when I saw them, they were so extremely fat that their flesh surfeited and palled the appetite ; notwithstanding which the pioneers and soldiers ate them roasted, and preferred them to beef and veal." "The hairy armadillo," continues M. Azara, "like others of the genus, has undoubtedly a very acute sense of smell, since it scents the carcasses of dead horses from a great distance, and runs to devour them; but as it is unable to penetrate the hide, it burrows under the body till it finds a place which the moisture of the soil has already begun to render putrid. Here it makes an entrance with its claws, and eats its way into the interior, where it continues feasting on the putrid flesh, till nothing remains but the hide and bones, and so perfectly do these preserve their position, that it is impossible, from a mere external view to anticipate the operations which the armadillos have been carrying on within." The same author observes further, that this species never constructs burrows to reside in, that it avoids low damp situations, and is only found on the dry upland plains.