lOO INSECT! VORA. 



I— GENUS CENTETES. 



This genus is subdivided into hco species, \vhii.li ditVor very sligbtl)-. 

 The Tenrec, Ce'Htftts cidiit/tj/its {Plate V), has a slcinlor IhhIx , and a 

 iong- head taking up nearly one-third of the animal's whole length. The 

 ears are short, the eyes small, the neck short and thinner than the body ; 

 the hind-legs are slightly longer than the lore-legs. T;:e bodv is cov- 

 ered with spines, bristles and iuiirs, wliieh clearly show, bv tiie pio- 

 gressive changes in their structure, that the spines are merely hairs 

 transtbrmed. At the back ot the head real spines, not very hard and 

 bending, grow to the length of nearly half an inch. Down the flanks 

 these spines become longer, thinner, softer, and more pliant: and on tlie 

 back, biistles piedominate. The under side of the bodv is covered with 

 hair, and long, sharp hairs project from the muzzle. The spines, bristles 

 or hairs are of a yellowish color; the former are tipped with black. The 

 Tenrec is not adorned with a tail. It attains a length of eight to tet. 

 inches. It cannot co'l up into a ball like the heilgehog. 



The Tenrec lias been carried from Madagascar to the .Mauritius and 

 neighboring islands. It is shy and timid, and only comes out at sun- 

 down, but never ventures far from its burrow. There is some doubt as 

 to its becoming torpid at certain seasons : the best evidence is to the 

 eftect that during the dry season the Tenrec retires to the deepest part 

 of its burrow, and theie sleeps from April to November. 



Although this creature exhales a muskv odor verv otVensive to most 

 nostrils, the natives regard it as a great delicacv, and tlie markets o\. 

 feast days display numbers of Tenrecs in all stages, alive, slaugiitered or 

 ready for the spit. 



The B.VNDEi^ Tenrec, Ctntitcs viirligtitiis. is also a native of Madagas- 

 car, and has derived its title of Banded, or Varied, from the bold coloring 

 of the quills and hair. 



The color of the back is a blackish-brown, diversified with three bold 

 stripes of vellowish-white. The centre one of these stripes extends along 

 the entire length t.>f the animal, and the two others commence by the ear 

 and terminate by the flank. The hair that covers the under portion of 

 the body is of a yellowish-white color. The generic name, Centetes, is 

 of Greek origin, and signifies " thorny," in allusion to the short and 

 thorn-like spines with w hicli the body is covered. 



