116 INSECTIVORA 



55 mm.) ; spines coarse and heavy, extending in au unbroken 

 line across forehead and decidedly overtopping ears ; skull with 

 heavy, deep rostrum, the distance from posterior extremity of 

 premaxillary to posterior extremity of maxillary less than I'ostral 

 depth at middle ; auditory process of basisphenoid short, wide- 

 funnel shaped, not forming a half-bulla ; third upper incisor with 

 one root, this sometimes partly divided longitudinally ; elevated 

 portion of posterior lower premolar with three cusps (fig. 25 a). 



External characters. — General form short, thick and clumsy, 

 the legs short, the feet large, plantigrade. Legs, tail, underparts 

 and head, except crown, clothed with coarse fur, the finer more 

 woolly hairs of which are about 15 mm. long, the longer, straight 

 hairs about 40 mm. in length. The rest of the body is covered 

 by a densely-set mass of sharply pointed bristles about 25 mm. in 

 length and 1 mm. in diameter. * The skin on which these bristles 

 are set is loosely attached to body, and provided with a special 

 system of muscles by which the edges of the spiny area can be 

 drawn together ventrally over the animal's retracted head and legs, 

 forming a complete protection for the entire body. Feet robust 

 with short digits and well developed claws, those on hind feet 

 longest. Fore foot broad and rounded with very short, thick 

 fingers, the third and fourth sub-equal and longest, seconil slightly 

 shorter, fifth extending to base of fourth, first well developed 

 but not reaching base of second ; balls of all five large and pad- 

 like ; palm entirely naked ; three large, semi-confluent pads 

 at bases of median digits, a small tubercle (about 2 mm. in 

 diameter) at base of thumb, and two large pads at back of \vrist, 

 the outer the larger ; skin between pads w^-inkled ; hind foot 

 much like fore foot but longer ; second, third and fourth digits 

 sub-equal and longest, but their claws noticeably graduated from 

 second to fourth, fifth digit extending to base of fourth, first not 

 reaching base of second ; sole naked, the tubercles as on palm 

 but more crowded, the two posterior sub-equal. Tail short and 

 thick, its length much less than that of hiud foot. Ear simple, 

 rounded, shorter than bristles on crown, the meatus without 

 valves. Muzzle moderately produced, somewhat pointed, the 

 muzzle-pad well developed, naked, its surface marked w ith minute 

 furrows, its lateral edges finely scalloped, its lower border continued 

 as a pair of parallel ridges extending inward to palate. Eye 

 well developed but rather small. Mammfe : p 1-1, a 2-2, 

 i 2-2 = 10. 



Colour. — Furred portions of bodj- varying from dull brown to 

 dirty whitish, the under fur usually a dusky hair-brown, the 

 longer hairs lighter and more bufty. Belly often irregularly 

 blotched and variegated with whitish and darker or lighter 

 brown. Feet usually darker than sides. Cheeks and eye-ring 

 often darker than rest of head. Spines bufFy at base, then with 



* Rarely the bristles are replaced by coarse hair like that on under- 

 parts. See Natural Science, xiii, p. 156, pi. ii, September, 1898. 



