Teeth of the Hedgehog. 335 



degenerate incisors ; and the anterior of his molar teeth are 

 the real transitional canines. Shaw's canines included the 

 recumbent incisors, together with the canines and anterior 

 molars of Pennant and Linnaeus. Blumenbach distinguishes 

 the incisors correctly, but his canines include the anterior 

 molars of Illiger and the elder Cuvier ; while Frederick Cuvier 

 includes among his molars, not only the canines of the other 

 writers, but even the two hindmost incisors on either side of 

 the lower jaw. 



Hence the hedgehog forms an admirable illustration of the 

 transitional structure, which connects two tribes of quadrupeds, 

 whose habits and dispositions are essentially distinct, the 

 Rodentia and the Ferae ; the one a race of harmless, almost 

 defenceless, herbivorous beasts ; the other a series in which 

 power and ferocity are developed to their full extent : and yet 

 so gradual is the change from these to those, from the lion, 

 the tiger, and the sanguinary wolf, to the mouse, the squirrel, 

 and the timid hare, — from those which have the tearing teeth 

 large, strong, and prominent, to these in which they are ob- 

 solete, obscure, or absent, and even to such as have no teeth 

 at all ; that in the osculant genera, as the shrew, the hedge- 

 hog, and the mole, their presence is alternately admitted and 

 denied ; at one time associating them with the gnawing beasts, 

 at another with the beasts of prey. 



This circumstance, which hath, as might have been sup- 

 posed, caused much perplexity to such zoographers who 

 would seek to divide, as well as to distinguish, the several pro- 

 vinces of nature, is one of those instances which go far to 

 prove that, in our systems, we should strive to indicate the 

 connexions, not to isolate the several parts ; to unravel the 

 associations, not rudely to sever those intermediate bands 

 which harmonize dissimilar, and otherwise discordant groups ; 

 for then the very obscurity which, by the mere systematist, is 

 esteemed a stumbling-block, to the physiologist becomes a 

 pharos, and is regarded not only as an interesting, but an im- 

 portant and valuable guide. 



I have the honour to remain, 

 Theatre of Anatomy, Great Yours obediently, 



Windmill- Street. Gilbert Thomas Burnett. 



November 30, 1829. 



