The Washington times., 1911-08-07
ARMAD|LLOS GREAT
EXCAYAT0RS, BUT
THEY'RE POOR PETS
Animals Caught BY Fort
Myer Boys In Texas Are
Bashful Here.

Armadillos are not a success as pets.
Any of the men Of F Battery, Field
Artillery, at Fort Myer. will tell you
this. Consequently, two armadillos
brought back from Texas by the artil-
lerymen found themselves in a new
home today. They are at the National
Zoo, where all may see them.
The third armadillo, the most tract
able of the lot captured by the soldiers
at Leon Springs, is still in captivity at
Fort Myer. 1t occupies quarters under
the porch of the F Battery barracks
He is a grand digger, and has not yet
lost his pep" Also he can be made to
stand up. much after the fashion of a
dog begging. The other two were not
only dullards. but suffered from fright
and inertia. Armadillos are not near as
formidable as they look from the illus
trations in the encyclopedia. Natural
history says they are armored by sue
cessive bands of a shell-like formation.
Somehow, the word armored makes
them sound fierce and warlike, but they
are not. Not at all.
Great Diggers.
The soldier boys carry them around
in their hands, and hold them by the
ldll "Illlo lllty ulB. 1ICluellldlly, IIley
are the grandest little diggers outside
Of the Canal Zone. Colonel Goethals
simply works on a bigger scale. Arma-
dillos go right through soft ground like
water through hose when the pressure
is strong. Give an armadillO a fair
chance and he will beat a steam drill
to the bottom of the we'll. When an
armadillo digs. his forefeet are the
picks and his hind feet the shovels, and
they work so fast you can't see them
move.
The only impression you get when he
starts. is of a puff Of earth. and dis
appearance stunt that would turn
Kellar green. The armadillo's fore feet
dig the earth out. and pass It to his
hind feet His hind feet pack it be-
hind him as he moves, filling the bur-
row, and giving the impression of mov-
ing through the solid ground.
The armadilos captured by the Fort
Myer men are of the nine ring or small
variety. Battery F was on a twenty
seven mile hike from San Antonio to
Leon Spring, when some of the men.
Privates Henderson, Ello, and Filing
ton, were seized with a desire for a
coon hunt. They were told that coons
abounded in the Leon Springs neigh
borhood.
They obtained the loan of old dog
Ring from Chaffee's ranch, and start
ed off on the hunt armed with gun,
lantern, and ak. Maybe old dog Ring
knew they were green hands at the
game IN Texas. Anyway he seemed to
enjoy the sport. Ring hit the trail, and
gave a deep and mellow bay, as soon
as he was unIeashed. There was a
tearing of underbrush, as the men dash
ed through the chaparral behind him.
Had EN- "Treed"
1t was not long before they came
upon old Ring giving all the high signs
of a hound with a coon at bay.
They wanted to kick him for a foo
dog when they discovered he was fixing
his attentions upon a little pile OF
scooped up earth instead of a tree
Ring was disgusted. until Henderson
decided to investigate, and Ring gave
forth paeans of joy when he began tc
dig. Armadillo No. l was in their GRASP
in a few minutes.
Two more were captured, and upon
their return they learned that people
around Leon Springs go coon hunting
with a pick instead of an ak
Armadillos are too umid, however, tc
win continued favor with the soldier
boys. Private Haley. who has beer
keeper, trainer, and major domo, says
they are so bashful they won't cal
when there is anybody around.