154 MAMMALIA. 



Atherurus, Cuv. 



Where neither the head nor muzzle is inflated, and in which we 

 observe a long non-prehensile tail ; the toes are like those of the true 

 Porcupines. 



Hyst. fasciculata, L.; BuflF. VII, 77 ; Schreb. 170.(1) (The 

 Pencil-tailed Porcupine.) The upper part of the spines on the 

 back grooved, and the tail terminated by a bundle of flattened 

 horny slips, constricted from space to space. 



Eretison, F. Cuv. 



The Ursons have a flat cranium j the muzzle short, and not con- 

 vex ; the tail of a middle size, and the spines short, and half hidden 

 in the hair. One species only is known, the 



Hystrix dorsata, L.; Buff". XII, Iv. (The Urson.) From 

 North America. (2) 



Synetheres, F. Cuv. 



The muzzle short and thick ; the head vaulted in front, and the 

 spines short j the tail long, naked at the extremity, and prehensile, 

 like that of an Opossum or Sapajou. There are only four toes, all 

 armed with claws ', they climb trees. 



Hyst. prchcnsilis, L.; Cuendu, Marcg., Hoitztlaquatzin, Her- 

 nand.(3) (The Prehensile-tailed Porcupine.) Hair of a brown- 

 ish-black ; spines black and white. 



Hystrix insidiosa, Lichtenst. ; the Couiy of Azzara; Pr. 

 Max. Brazil. Smaller ; the spines partly red or yellow, and 

 hidden during a part of the year under its long greyish-brown 

 hair. 



Lepus, Lin. 



Hares have a very distinctive character in their superior incisors, 

 which are double, that is, each of them has a smaller one behind 



(1) This figLU'c, copied from Seba, I, 52, i, is too short. That ofBufF. is better, 

 but the slips at the end of the tail are not represented with sufficient distinct- 

 ness. We can conjecture no reason by which De Blainville and Desmai-ets refer 

 this species to the genus of Kats ; it has the teeth, and otlier characters of the 

 Porcupines, external as well as internal. 



(2) The pretended Coendou of Buffon is also an Urson, bat a disfigured specimen 

 that had lost its hair. See BufF. XII, 54. 



(3) This word, in the Mexican language, means Spiny Opossum. It is the long 

 tailed Coendou of Buff. Supp. VII, 78; but the muzzle in the figure is too short. 

 The figure of Hernandez conveys a much better idea of the animal. 



