146 HEMICENTETES MADAGASCARIENSIS. 



3. Hemicentetes madagascariensis , Shaw — 1800. 



Muzzle elongated simular to Centetes ecaudatus. Head 

 also attaining about half the length of the body. 



Upperparts of head covered with rather short quills, on 

 the neck forming an elevated crest. These quills are white 

 with a brownish black subterminal ring. Above the eyes 

 there is a white patch, below them a black one. 



The body is ornated with five white lines , the middle 

 forming a kind of rather broad band from the crest to the 

 tail. These lines consist of pure white quills. 



In the young ones — measuring about 10.5 c. m. — 

 the back between the white streaks , the sides of the body 

 and outside of legs are furnished with short flexible quills 

 and much more elongated bristles , these bristles and quills 

 being uniformly of a dark blackish-brown color. 



In the old ones — measuring about 23 c. m. ^) — there 

 are also flexible quills and large bristles on the back between 

 the white streaks and on the sides of the body, but here 

 the quills are white with a sub terminal brownish black 

 ring, passing to longer and brownish black or entirely 

 white colored bristles towards the hind part of the back 

 and the outside of legs. 



In all the specimens there are between the quills and 

 bristles on the sides of the body and outside of legs irre- 

 gularly spread a few pure white quills. Cheeks , chin , 

 throat, breast, belly and inside of legs sparingly covered 

 with rather rigid whitish hairs. Whiskers blackish brown 

 projecting beyond the ears. 



Naked muzzle , ears , hands and feet dirty yellow or brown 

 colored. 



Upper jaw. — Incisors separated from each other: the 

 second incisor is slightly curved and notched. Canines 



1) Our oldest specimen of this species therefore is about 8 c. m. larger than 

 the youngest of the Centetes ecaudatus (see above^, which should be noticed 

 Hs being of the highest importance ! 



Notes from the JLieyden ZMuseuni. 



