Armadillo
the Spanish-American name now imported into English, of various mammalia belonging to the order edentata, the family dasypodidæ, and its typical genus dasypus. The name armaname now imported into English, of va- rious mammalia belonging to the order is applied to these animals because the upper part of their body is covered with large, strong scales or plates, forming a helmet for their head, a buckler for their shoulders, transverse bands for their back, and in some species a series of rings for the protection of their tail. The fore feet are admirably adapted for digging, and the animal, when it sees danger, can extemporize a hole and vanish into it with wonderful rapidity. If acback, and in some species a series of rings for the protection of their tail. The fore feet are admirably adapted for digwithdrawing its head and feet under its strong armor. There are several species ging, and the animal, when it sees dan- ger, can extemporize a hole and vanish into it with wonderful rapidity. If ac- (dasypus gigas), the three-banded artually captured, it rolls itself into a ball, withdrawing its head and feet under its ARMATURE banded armadillo (D. sexcinctus), and the hairy armadillo (D. villosus). They feed chiefly on ants and other insects and worms, and are peculiar to South America.
It is also the name of a genus of crusand the family oniscidx, the type of which is the well-known wood-louse. It is so called partly from its being covered with a certain feeble kind of armor; but chiefly from its rolling itself up into a ball after the fashion of the South American mammalian armadillos. ARMAGEDDON (-ged'dcn), the great battlefield of the Old Testament, where the chief conflicts took place between the Israelites and their enemies-the table- land of Esdraelon in Galilee and Samaria, in the center of which stood the town Megiddo, on the site of the modern Lej- jun; used figuratively in the Apocalypse to signify the place of "the battle of the Megiddo, on the site of the modern Lejjun; used figuratively in the Apocalypse great day of God." to ARMAGH (är-mä'), a city, and capiital of Armagh co., Ireland; and the archiepiscopal seat of the Primate of all Ireland; 70 miles N. W. of Dublin. It is ital of Armagh co., Ireland; and the A. D. 450. Pop. about 7,000. said to have been founded by St. Patrick,