Zoological Society. 391 



those of the other fingers, which are flat as in the Monkeys. This is 

 frequently accompanied by an abbreviation of the index of the fore- 

 hands, which becomes in Loris, Geoff., very considerable, and is in 

 Perodicticus carried to its 7naxunum, that organ being here almost 

 obsolete. 



The habits of the animal are described by Mr. Boyle as "slothful 

 and retiring. It seldom makes its appearance but in the night time, 

 when it feeds upon vegetables, chiefl)-," he believes, "the Cassada. 

 It is known to the colonists as the Bush-Dog." 



The specimen of Aidacodus, being fully adult, was shown to add 

 much to the knowledge previously possessed of an animal, only one 

 individual of which had hitherto been seen by naturalists, and that 

 individual so young as not to have attained its perfect characters. 

 Mr. Bennett pointed out the deviations, in the specimen exhibited, 

 from the description published by M. Temminck in his ' Monogra- 

 phies de Mammalogie', and proposed the following amended generic 

 character : 



AuLAcoDUS, Van Swind. 



Denies incisores |-, antice plani, scalpro cuneato, superiores profundb 

 bisulcati: molares 44, lamellares : sacculi buccales : pedes an- 

 tici digitis 4, cum rudimento pollkis ; posiici digitis 4 : ungues, 

 prater pullicis subplanum, falculares, fortes, superne rotundati, 

 infra dilatali sulcati: cauda pilosa, mediocris, attenuuta. 



The deep sulci on the anterior surface of the incisor teeth of the 

 upper jaw are situated nearer to the inner than to the outer edge of 

 the tooth, and divide its face into three ridges, the inner of which is 

 half the breadth of the middle, and the middle less than half the 

 breadth of ihe outer. The molar teeth of the upper jaw have two re- 

 entering folds of enamel on the outer, and one on the inner side ; the 

 outer passing beyond the middle of the crown, the inner central and 

 less deeply entering : all the teeth are nearly equal in size : the an- 

 terior three are nearly square ; the posterior somewhat rounded : 

 there is no notching on the outer edge, but a distinct notch exists 

 where the enamel folds in on the inner side, especially of the three 

 posterior teeth. In the lower jaw the first molar has three folds of 

 enamel on the inner side passing beyond the middle of the crown, 

 and one small fold slightly notched on the outer : the second and 

 third have two inner folds and one outer, all notched at the edge : 

 the posterior is nearly similar, but more rounded behind. This system 

 of dentition bears a greater resemblance to that of Erethizon, F. Cuv., 

 than to that of any other genus of the Uodentia. 



The covering of the Aulacodus Swinderianus is peculiar, consisting 

 entirely, except on the tail, of flattened somewhat spine-like bristles, 

 from I to 14^ inch in length, the tips only of which are flexible and 

 hair-like : the dark space which occupies the greater portion of each 

 of the bristles exhibits a changeable metallic lustre, varying in differ- 

 ent positions from deep steel blue to bright copper red. 



The length of the body and head is 1 7 inches, or measured along 

 the convexity of the back, 20 : of the tail, 9 : of the head, 44- : of the, 

 fore-leg, 3 J ; tarsus and toes, I v : of the/ew);(r, 4^ ; tibia, 4i; tarsus 



and 



