Zoological Society. 353 



acute behind. Palatine opening narrow and nearly parallel. Malar 

 bone moderately wide, and rather gradually narrowed behind. The 

 nasal holes large ; the front end of the nasal over the base of the 

 upper cutting-teeth. 



Inhab. India. Nepal ; B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 



The spinous process of the second cervical vertebra is very large 

 and recurved ; of the first dorsal is shorter than the second or others ; 

 the ribs are 15*15, very broad and large. The caudal vertebrae are 

 deficient. 



This species is described from a half-grown specimen and its skull, 

 and a skeleton of an adult animal from Nepal, presented to the British 

 Museum by B. H. Hodgson, Esq. 



ft Malar bone with a deep notch behind. Palatine opening diverging. 



2. ACANTHION CuVIERI, n, S. 



Pore epic d'ltalie, F. Cuv. Mtm. Mus. ix. t. 20*. f. 1. Skull. 



Hystrix cristata, Brandt. Mem. Petersb. 1835, t. 8. f. 1, 2. Skull. 



Black ? Spines ? Skull very convex above, very wide over and 

 before the orbits. The hinder part of the intermaxillary rather broad, 

 and rounded at the end. The palatine openings wide, and diverging 

 from each other behind. The malar bone very broad in front, narrow 

 behind. The nasal hole very large ; the front edge of the nasal far 

 back behind the base of the cutting- teeth. 



Inhab. ? Mus. Zool. Soc. 



This species is described from an adult skull, with the hinder part 

 of the upper surface cut away, which is contained in the museum of 

 the Zoological Society. It agrees in almost every particular with 

 the skull figured by Brandt and F. Cuvier as that of the European 

 Porcupine. Brandt's figure is just half, and Cuvier's rather more than 

 half the size of this specimen. Brandt's figure is most characteristic, 

 both in the posterior position of the nasal bone and the notch in the 

 lower edge of the orbit produced by the sudden narrowing of the 

 malar bone. 



** Skull narrower in front. Nasal bone moderate to the front edge 

 of the orbits. Malar bone with an obtuse post-orbital process. 



ACANTHEKIUM. 



3. Acanthion javanicum. Short-spine Porcupine. 



Acanthion javanicum, F. Cuvier, Me'm. Mus. ix. 1. 1. f. 3, 4. From 

 a skull ; and Mus. Leyden. 



Hystrix brevispinosus, Wagner, 



H. torquatus. Mus. ? 



Greyish black, throat with a large square white spot. Spines of 

 the head elongate setaceous ; of the front half of the body short, 

 dark, with a deep groove and a white tip ; of the hinder part of the 

 back longer, more cylindrical, white, with a black tip and bands ; of 

 the under-side of the tail white ; the sides with a few scattered, very 

 slender, white spines. The palate narrowed behind. Condyles of 



Ann. fy Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xx. 25 



