THE BRAZILIAN PORCUPINE. 119 



are also so long as to reach the insertion of the tail. 

 The ears are much less rounded, and the nails shorter 

 and stronger. We have comj)ared skulls of the common 

 Indian and African porcupines together, in the Paris 

 Museum, and other bones of the skeleton, and we per- 

 ceived a marked difl'erence in many details. To the 

 Indian species or variety Col. Sykes has given the title 

 H. Leucurus; it is very abundant, and good eating. 

 Like the African porcupine, when alarmed or irritated 

 it shakes the tubes and spines of its tail violently, pro- 

 ducing a startling noise. It stamps also with great 

 energy, and when it assails an adversary it runs obliquely 

 backwards, transfixing the foe with its spines. (See 

 ' Cat. Mamm. of Dukhun,' j). 10, and * Zool. Proceeds.' 

 1831, p. 103.) 



Family-CHINCHILLID^. 



To the animals of this family, of which the beautiful 

 chinchilla is the type, the attention of English naturalists 

 was first called by Mr. Bennett, whose admirable ])ai)er 

 on the subject will be found in the first volume of the 

 ' Trans. Zool. Soc' In this paper three genera are 

 clearly and fully characterized, viz. : Lagotis, Benn. ; 

 Chinchilla^ Benn. ; and Lagostomus, Biookes. The 

 ChinchillidiB are all peculiar to South America, and are 

 burrowing and gregarious in their habits. Their food is 



4—4 

 exclusively vegetable. The molar teeth are desti- 

 tute of true roots. 



The Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera). 



The characters of the genus Chinchilla, as established 



4—4 

 by Mr. Bennett, are as follows : — Molars, , crossed 



•^ 4—4' 



obliquely on their surface by three lines of enamel. 

 Toes, on the fore-feet, five ; on the hind-feet, four. 

 Tail of moderate length, and hairy ; ears broad, rounded, 



