100 



2. Hysthix leucurus, Sykes, Proc.Zool.Soc, {Indian Poreupine). 

 Hystrix cristata, Bennett, Gard. 8; Menag. Zool. Soc. 171 : fig. good. 



Black ; spines of the throat white-tipped (forming a half-collar) ; 

 of the sides rigid, angular, of the back very long, slender, with 

 Severai black ring?, and a very long, slender, white tip. Skull elon- 

 gate, rather narrow ; the hinder part of the intermaxillary as wide as 

 the nasal. The palate narrovp, not wider than the width ot the teeth. 

 Inhab. Bombay. Dukhun, Colonel Sykes. Nepal, B. H. Hodgson, 

 Esq., N. India. 



The above description is taken from two adult and one young spe- 

 cimens in the British Museum, — one presented by Colonel Sykes and 

 the others by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., — two škulis from Mr. Hodgson's 

 specimens, three škulis from Colonel Cautley's coUection, and a skull 

 in the museum of the Zoological Society. 



The young skull, M'hich has three \vell-developed and wom grind- 

 ers, is the šame length as the young skull of H. cristata from Xan- 

 thus, •vvhich has the third grinder partly developed. The Nepal skull 

 is much less swollen, less convex above, and nearly oiie-third nar- 

 rower, and the teeth are smaller, occupying about one-fourth less 

 space than the three teeth in the European skull. 



I may observe, that though these skuUs preserve a very distinct 

 character, yet they vary so much amongst themselves as to show 

 that škulis aflbrd no better character for the distinction of species 

 than any other single character, such as colour, but can only be 

 depended on when taken in connexion with the ręst of the organi- 

 zation, 



In Colonel Cautley's collection there are three adult škulis (nos. 32, 

 34, 35) of this species from Northern India ; they agree nearly in 

 size and in the comparative width of the intermaxillary and nasal 

 bones ; one dilFers from the other two considerabJy in the width be- 

 tween the orbits, and slightly in the convexity of the frontai line. 

 'ITiey are all much larger than Mr. Hodgson's specimen from Nepal. 



No. 34 is peculiar for having a fifth grinder appearing behind the 

 fourth on the left side above. 



This species is easily lvnown by the very elongate slender spines 

 of the back and by the form of the intermaxillary, though they are 

 subject to some variation. 



The figures by Harvey published by Mr. Bennett above-quoted 

 well represent the elongated drooping dorsal spines of this species. 



