Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes, 5^3 



of a new genus of Mammalia, to which M. F. Cuvier has assigned 

 the name of Ahctonyx. In habit this animal, (the Bali-Souar, 

 or Sand-Hog, of the Hindoos,) may be compared to a Bear furnished 

 with the snout, eyes, and tail of a Hog. Of its dentary system 

 nothing is known, except that it possesses six small incisors of 

 equal length, that its canine teeth are long, and that these are 

 immediately succeeded by flat molar teeth, which appear to be 

 larger as they are more advanced in the mouth. Its movement is 

 plantigrade, and its five toes, united by a narrow membrane 

 throughout their whole extent, are armed with powerful claws an 

 inch in length. 



The hairs of the single species known to M. F. Cuvier, the ji, 

 collarisy are rough, thickly set, and long upon tlie body, while 

 those of the head are short and depressed. The snout, which is 

 flesh-coloured, has only a few bristles on its sides; and the belly 

 is almost naked. The ears are short, covered with short hairs, 

 and bordered with white. The hair, which is yellowish white 

 with its apex black, gives to the fur a slightly blackish cast which 

 varies in an undulated manner when the animal moves. The 

 throat is yellow, and the sides of the head are marked with 

 two black bands, which unite towards the snout. The lower 

 band, which is very narrow, borders the upper lip ; the other, 

 which is much broader, covers the eye, embraces the ear, descends 

 on the sides of the neck, and unites itself at the bottom of the 

 shoulder with the black that covers entirely the anterior mem- 

 bers : hence the part in front bounded by these black bands, al- 

 though nearly resembling in colour the remainder of the body, 

 seems to form a distinct portion of the fur. The hinder members 

 are black like the anterior ones, and the hair which covers them 

 is very rough. The yellowish white predominates towards the 

 posterior part of the back, and the tail is furnished with large 

 rough scattered bristles. 



It is necessary to observe that this description is founded en- 

 tirely on the notes of the late M. Duvaucel, who sent from India 

 the drawing employed by M. F. Cuvier. No specimen of the ani- 

 mal has yet reached France ; we may however observe that it is con- 

 tained in the museum of the East India Company, and that ano- 



