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With these claws it burrows with extraordinary rapidity, and can inflict severe wounds. The common armadillo, or the poyou, is about twenty inches in length, including the tail. As its hearing is very acute, and it never ventures far from its home during the daytime, it easily escapes the attacks of its foes, with the exception of man.
"May we ride on, papa?" "Yes, boys, I will ride on with you." And off they set, leaving their party to follow quietly. "Mind how you gallop, boys; the ground is honeycombed with armadillo holes, and if your horse treads in one you will go over his head."
On the contrary, the flesh of the armadillo is in much esteem as an article of food, both among the white colonists and the natives, and men and dogs are employed in many parts of South America to procure it for the table.
The Spanish Americans have it in the phrase "Cada uno a su gusto;" "Chacun a son gout," say the French; and on hearing these tales about "ant-paste," and "roast monkey," and "armadillo done in the shell," and "bat-soup," you, boy reader, will not fail to exclaim "Every one to his liking." The vampire appeared to be to Guapo's liking.
The fourth, and most important, is the hairy armadillo, with habits which are in strange contrast to those of its perishing congeners, and which seem to mock many hard-and-fast rules concerning animal life. It is omnivorous, and will thrive on anything from grass to flesh, found dead and in all stages of decay, or captured by means of its own strategy.
"`Oh! then it is an armadillo. "`An amadiller! Cudjo niver hear o' dat varmint afore.
"Armadillo" is the Spanish name, and signifies the "little armed one," the diminutive of "armado" or "armed." This name is peculiarly appropriate to these animals, as the hard bony casing which covers the whole upper parts of their bodies, bears an exceeding resemblance to the suits of plate armour worn in the days of Cortez and chivalry.
It may be asked in ridicule, whether I suppose that the megatherium and other allied huge monsters have left behind them in South America, the sloth, armadillo, and anteater, as their degenerate descendants. This cannot for an instant be admitted. These huge animals have become wholly extinct, and have left no progeny.
The armadillo has only here and there a straggling hair, and has neither fur nor wool nor bristles, but in lieu of them has received a movable shell on which are scales very much like those of fishes.
Seeing this, I seized the tail firmly; and, giving it a sudden jerk, swung the armadillo out between the feet of my companion. Cudjo aimed a blow with the axe which nearly severed its head from its body, and killed the animal outright. It was about the size of a rabbit, and proved to be of the eight-banded species reckoned more delicious eating than any other.
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