7. D. minutes (Desmarest), the Piehiy, measures only 10 inches in length from the snout to the origin of the tail, which is itself 41 inches long ; the head is 2 inches and 8 lines long, 2 inches broad across the orbits, and the ears are a quarter of an inch in length, and very sharp-pointed. The frontal buckler is composed of irregular plates, the eyes being small and nearly concealed under its margin ; there are no plates on the temples, but their place seems to be supplied by a pencil of stiff brown hairs ; the neck is extremely short, and fur nished above with a row of minute scales ; the shoulder-buckler presents nothing remarkable, but that of the eroup is deeply indented along the edges, and the moveable bands, to the number of six or seven, according to the age of the individual, are composed of rectan gular plates, bordered on each side by compressed scales, lunated and pointing backwards. Each scale is more or less distinctly marked with two longitudinal linear depressions, which divide it into three parts, of which the middle is plain and of an oblong figure, but the lateral are, as it were, divided into six or eight tubercles. The claws are but moderately developed, the tail is covered with strong scales disposed in rings, and the interstices of the scales and bands are furnished with a considerable quantity of hair, though less abund antly and not so long as in the last species.
The Pichiy inhabits the pampas to the south of Buenos Ayres, and extends from 36° of latitude southward to the confines of Pata gonia. It inhabits burrows, to which however it does not confine itself during the day, like some other species. Its flesh is said to be remarkably tender and well tasted. Two individuals of this species which had been brought from Port Desire, on the east coast of Pata gonia, lived for some time in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and would doubtless bear even the rigour of our more northern climate without injury or inconvenience.
IV. The Kabassous have likewise five toes, both on the anterior and posterior extremities, but those of the fore feet are disposed obliquely, in such a manner that the thumb and index are small, the middle and fourth toes armed with tremendously large trenchant claws, and the fifth very small. This construction gives them the means of burrowing with extraordinary facility, and of clinging to the ground with such determination and obstinacy that it is with the utmost difficulty they can be taken from it. They have nine or ten teeth throughout.
8. D. Tatouay (Desmarest), the Tatouay, or Wounded Armadillo, is so called by the Indians in allusion to its tail, which is naked, or as it were rudely deprived of the crust or bony tube which covers this organ in all the other species. The whole length of the Tatouay, as given by Azara, is 261 inches, from which if we subtract 7) inches for the length of the tail, it leaves 1 foot 7 inches for that of the body.
The tail is round, pointed and naked, the exception of a few small round scales or crusts on the under surface of the third ring nearest to the extremity, which frequently trails along the ground when the animal walks ; the rest is covered with soft brown fur, interspersed with a few stiff short hairs on the superior surface. The head is longer, narrower, and more attenuated than that of the Poyou, though considerably less so than in the Peba and Mule Armadillo ; there are 8 molars on each side. of the upper jaw, and 7 on each aide of the lower
jaw ; the ears are unusually large, being nearly 2 inches long, and in figure forming a segment of a circle ; the body is round : the claws of the fore feet, particularly that of the middle toe, are excessively large; and the female is provided with only two pectoral mammal The bucklers of the croup and shoulders are composed of 10 and 7 rows of scales respectively, each scale forming an oblong rectangle, those of the coecia being the largest of all; the moveable bands are 13 in number, composed of scales much smaller than those of the bucklers, and of a nearly square figure. The habits of this species are altogether unknown. It inhabits Guyana and Brazil, and is rarely found south as far as Paraguay.
V. The Priodontes, or last subdivision of the Armadillos, in addi tion to the unequal toes and enormous claws of the Kabassous, have from 22 to 24 small teeth throughout, on each side of the jaws, making in all from 88 to 96 teeth—a greater number than is found in any other mammal This group contains but a single species at present known, namely 9. D. giyas (Cuvier), the Great Armadillo, which is nearly 3 feet 3 inches in length, from the nose to the origin of the tail; the head is 71 inches long, the ears It inch, and the tail I foot 5 inches. Its superior size is alone sufficient to distinguish this species from all tho other known armadillos, but it possesses numerous other characters not less remarkable. Its bead is proportionably smaller than in the ether species, the forehead is more protuberant, and the face from the eyes downwards assumes a tubular cylindrical form, like that of the Pcba ; the can are of a moderate size, pointed, and habitually crouched backwarde; the bucklers of the shoulders and croup are composed of D and 18 rows of plates respectively, and separated by moveable bands to the number of 12 or 1:1, formed of rectangular scales, about half an inch square. The tail is remarkably thick at the root, being upwards of 10 inches in circumference: it is gradually attenuated towards the tip, covered with plates disposed in rings at the base, and forming spiral or crescent-shaped lines throughout the rest of its length. The claws are remarkably large and powerful, hut in their relative form and dimensions differ little from those of the Tatouay already described.
This species inhabits Brazil and the northern parts of Paraguay. It in never found in the open country, but keeps close to the great forests, and burrows with surprising facility. Those who are employed in collecting the Jesuit's Bark frequently meet with it in the woods, and report that when any of their companions happen to die at a distance from the settlements, they are obliged to surround the body with a double row of stout planks, to prevent it from being scratched up and devoured by the Great Armadillo.
The remains of Armadillos have been found in the Tertiary Strata, the most remarkable of which is the Glyptodon of Owen. [Citreronox.] ARMATI. [Mom: urea.] ARM, the native Indian name of the Wild Buffalo. [0x.]