CHAPTER n. 



THE HEDGEHOGS, MOLES AND SHREWS. 



THE ERINACEID.* — THE HEDGEHOGS — THE GENUS GYMNURA — THE CENTETIDyE — THE TENREC ANP 



TENDRAC — THE GENUS SOLENODON — THE AGOUTA — THE POTAMOGALID/E — THE CHKYSOCHLO- 



RID^ OR GOLDEN MOLES — THE TALP1D>E — THE MOLES — THE GENUS TALPA — GENUS CONDY 



■ LURA — THE STAR-NOSED MOLES — THE GENUS SCALOPS OR AMERICAN MOLE — THE GENU* 



MYOGALE— THE DESMANS — THE UROTRICHUS — THE SORICID-E OR THE SHREWS. 



T 



HE family Erinaceid^e is not represented on the Amencan 

 Continent. It consists of tivo genera — one comprising th? 

 Hedgehogs proper, the other the Gymnura. 



I.— GENUS ERINACEUS. 



The Hedgehogs are scattered somewhat capriciously over the East- 

 ern Hemisphere. Their most remarkable feature is the coat of stiff- 

 pointed spines covering the back ; another is the power of rolling them- 

 selves up into a ball, by placing the head on the breast, drawing up the 

 legs, and curling the body round them. When thus rolled up the crea- 

 ture is almost invulnerable, and can with difficulty be unrolled ; an 

 enormously developed muscle with a thick margin spreads over the 

 back and sides, and contracts with an immense force, capable of resist- 

 ing the efforts of its enemies while the spines inflict severe wounds. The 

 only method readily available for making the creature unroll, is to fling 

 it into water. 



The spmes, which the animal can erect at will, are confined to the 

 back ; the other parts of the body are either, like the face and feet, hair- 

 less, or covered with hair of a more or less dense character, according to 

 the species. The food of the Hedgehogs consists of insects, worms, 

 snails, and the like. 



