he cuirass
which so perfectly protects his body. Its formation and arrangement is
quite unusual; it appears like a number of squared plates of horn,
tightly united to short strips of tape, which are sewed together. The
cuirass is not connected with the entire body of the animal, but only on
the top of the head and along the spine. It covers the entire back, and
when it reaches the tail, turns downward, forming a perfect flap, which
protects the hindquarters.

The various species of manis are famed for their powerful coats of
armour. They, also, belong to the great group of burrowers, and their
coats of mail assume both offensive and defensive characters. These
mail-bearers are covered with numerous sharp-edged scales, like
miniature horns, which entirely overlap one another, like shingles on a
house. They are of great hardness, and form a belt which no animal of
their regions can penetrate. A revolver shot will produce not the
slightest effect upon the body of this iron-protected animal.

These animals are plentiful in India, and when they are molested, they
deliberately wind themselves up, coil their tails over their bodies, and
remain in conscious security against the fruitless blows of their
enemies, who soon weary of the wounds caused from the prickly scales of
impenetrable armour.

Instead of wearing heavy coats of mail, certain animals, such as the
hedgehog and porcupine, prefer to wear coats covered with needles and
pins. Of course, a coat of spines is used purely for protection. And
against the attacks of such enemies as dogs, it proves all-sufficient,
but it is a well-known fact that pumas and leopards will kill and eat
porcupines at all times, paying small attention to their spines, as is
shown by the number which are sometimes found sticking in the body of a
porcupine-eating animal.

There are several species of this great spine-bearing family; and many
of them, especially the true porcupines and the echidnas, have burrows
in the ground and thus have a double means of protecting themselves. But
others, such as the hedgehog, depend for their protection upon their
ability to roll up into a ball, thus presenting a barbed wire
protection. Still others live largely in the trees and seek by other
means to protect themselves.

One of the most interesting coats of armour is that worn by the
porcupine ant-eater--oft-times erroneously called porcupine or hedgehog.
He is a native of Australia, and is a powerful bu