542 RODENTIA 



Measurements.— Adult male from Vestervig, Denmark : head 

 and body, 65 ; tail, 87 ; hind foot, 16"4 ; ear from meatus, 10 "6. 

 For cranial measurements see Table, p. 541. 



Specimens examined. — Five, from the following localities : — 

 Austria-Hungary : Zuberec, northern Hungary, 2 ; Tatra Mts., 

 northern Hungary, 2. 



Denmark: Vestervig, Thj% 1. 



BemarJcs. — Until it is possible to compare the two European 

 species of Sicista with authentic specimens of the Asiatic forms 

 named by Pallas it seems preferable to use the names trizona and 

 loriger, the status of which admits of no doubt. 



2. Zuberec, Hungary. Budapest Museum (e). 94. 3. 1. 73-74. 



1 al. Tatra Mountains. Zoological Society. 87. 1. 4. 1. 



1 al. Tatra Mountains. Dr. R. Collett (p). 91. 1. 21. 3. 



1 al. Vestervig, Thy, Den- Copenhagen Museum (e). 88.1.9.1. 



mark. 



FAMILY HYSTRICID.^. 



1821. Hystridw Gray, London Med. Repos., xv, p. 804, April 1, 1821. 

 1831. Hystricidx. Burnett, Quart. Journ. Sci. Lit. and Art, xxviii, 1829, 

 p. 350, 1880. 



Geographical distribution. — Warmer portions of the Old 

 World, Madagascar, Australia and the outer portions of the 

 Malay Archipelago excepted. In Europe confined to the 

 Mediterranean region. 



Characters. — Middle portion of zygoma formed exclusively by 

 the large jugal bone which does not come in contact with 

 lachrymal ; anteorbital foramen large, without secondary canal ; 

 mandible with angular part arising from outer side of alveolus 

 of incisor ; frontal region of skull inflated (especially in genus 

 occurring in Europe) ; clavicle incomplete ; ^tibia and fibula 

 distinct ; teeth hypsodont, incompletely rooted ; body heavy, 

 covered with long quills. 



BemarJcs. — The family Hystricidse contains four or five genera, 

 one of which reaches the Mediterranean region of Europe. 



Genus HYSTRIX Linn«?us. 



1758. Hystrix Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., i, 10th ed., p. 56 (cristata by tautonymy). 

 1798. Histrix Cuvier, Tabl. Element, de I'Hist. Nat. der Anim., p. 170 



(Modification of Hystrix). 

 1866. QSdocephalus Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 308 {Acanthiun 



cuvieri Gray). 



Type species. — Hystrix cristata Linnaais. 



Geographical distribution. — Africa and locally in Mediter- 

 ranean region of Euroi^e. 



Characters. — Inflation of facial region of skull maximum for 

 the family, the contrast between depth at front of tooth-row and 

 that behind alveolus of incisor very conspicuous ; nasal bones 



