INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 



33 



munity against animal poisons, being quite unharmed, for example, 

 by the bite of an adder. It is believed to know the difference 

 between poisonous and harmless snakes, for in tackling the former 

 it always begins with the head. 



The Tenrecs of Madagascar are relatives of the hedgehogs, 

 but have longer snouts, and present all degrees of spininess down 

 to the entire absence of prickly structures. They are, moreover, 

 of very various size. One of the largest is the Common Tenrec 



Fig. 325. Common Tenrec (Centetes ecaudatus) 



{Centetes ecaudatus} (fig. 325), while the small Rice-Tenrecs 

 (Oryzorictes) are specially interesting on account of their mole- 

 like form and habits. It is a remarkable fact that the nearest 

 relatives of the Tenrecs are the Agoutas (Solenodon) of Cuba 

 and Hayti. In these both snout and tail are much elongated, 

 and the digits are armed with powerful claws. Although little 

 is known of their habits, it is believed that they subsist entirely 

 upon animal food. 



The Golden Moles (Chrysochloris) (fig. 326) of South Africa, 

 so named on account of their iridescent fur, appear to find their 

 nearest relatives in the Tenrecs, and not in the ordinary moles, 

 as would be naturally imagined. Just as specialization for an 

 aquatic life takes place on similar lines in a number of different 

 groups, so also in the case of burrowing Mammals adapted for 

 the pursuit of earthworms. One marked difference between 



VOL. II. 



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