It is unfortunate that we have no knowledge of the Miocene mammalian fauna of the Australian and Austro-Columbian provinces; but, seeing that not a trace of a Platyrrhine Ape, of a Procyonine Carnivore, of a characteristically South-American Rodent, of a Sloth, an Armadillo, or an Ant-eater has yet been found in Miocene deposits of Arctogaea, I cannot doubt that they already existed in the Miocene Austro-Columbian province.

For in the dead stillness of mid-day, when not only the deer, and the agoutis, and the armadillos, but the birds and insects likewise, are all asleep, the crack of a falling branch was all that struck my ear, as I tried in vain to verify the truth of that beautiful passage of Humboldt'strue, doubtless, in other forests, or for ears more acute than mine.

The eastern continent had then, as now, its great pachyderms, elephants, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus; South America its armadillos, sloths, and ant-eaters; Australia a crowd of marsupials; and the very strange birds of New Zealand had predecessors of similar strangeness.

I really think it must be chewing tobacco which makes the Americans so much more restless, so much more like armadillos than any other nation.

Farther on, coatis, with short ears, and long tails; companies of little Guinea pigs; armadillos, a species of hedge-hog without the quills, but covered with an armor of scales, more compact and impervious than that of the ancient knights of the Middle Ages, arrange themselves along the line of his route, as if to pass him in review.

THE NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO.

[Illustration: THE NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO.

] Armadillos are almost exclusively natives of South America, principally of the province of Paraguay.

At other times, when pursued, and finding flight ineffectual, the Armadillos withdraw the head under the edge of the buckler of the shoulders; their legs, except the feet, are naturally hidden by the borders of the bucklers and the bands; they then contract the body as far towards the shape of a ball as the stretching of the membrane which unites the different movable pieces of the armour will permit.

It should here be observed that the Three-banded Armadillo is remarkable for the faculty of rolling itself up more completely than the other species.

Armadillos were formerly thought to feed exclusively on vegetables; but they have since been found to devour insects and flesh.

The directions of their burrows evince that they search after ant heaps, and the insects quickly disappear from near the hole of an Armadillo.

The largest species, the great black Armadillo, common in the forests of Paraguay, feeds on the carcasses of animals; and the graves of the dead which are necessarily formed at a distance from the usual places of sepulture, in countries where the great Armadillo is found, are protected by strong double boards to prevent the animal from penetrating and devouring the body.

The largest species, the great black Armadillo, common in the forests of Paraguay, feeds on the carcasses of animals; and the graves of the dead which are necessarily formed at a distance from the usual places of sepulture, in countries where the great Armadillo is found, are protected by strong double boards to prevent the animal from penetrating and devouring the body.

The Indians are very fond of the flesh of the Armadillo as food, especially when young; but, when old, it acquires a strong musky flavour.

The armadillos were feeding in an open space between two of these jungle clumps, which were about a hundred yards apart.

I had always supposed that armadillos merely shuffled along, and curled up for protection when menaced; and I was almost as surprised as if I had seen a turtle gallop when these two armadillos bounded off at a run, going as fast as rabbits.

I had always supposed that armadillos merely shuffled along, and curled up for protection when menaced; and I was almost as surprised as if I had seen a turtle gallop when these two armadillos bounded off at a run, going as fast as rabbits.

Twice, while laying railway tracks near Sao Paulo, Kermit had accidentally dug up armadillos with a steam-shovel.

The only mammal I saw on the walk was a rather hairy armadillo, with a flexible tail, which I picked up and brought back to Millerit showed none of the speed of the nine-banded armadillos we met on our jaguar-hunt.

In our account of the Nine-banded Armadillo, at page 57 of the present volume, we noticed the curious fact of the whole series of armadillos offering a notable example of one genus being confined to a particular country, viz.

[Illustration: (Armadillos.)]

The next Cut includes the House and Enclosure for Armadillos, who are, in sunny weather, located here with a "select few" rabbits.

He tried armadillos and tortoises.

And the armadillos?