INSECTIVORA. 147 



form, incis. f or f , can.4, mol. -| = 34 or 38. 

 They have the body more or less covered with 

 spines, but are unable, like hedgehogs, to roll them- 

 selves into a ball ; the snout is very pointed ; five 

 toes to all the feet ; no tail. They are nocturnal ; 

 and, although natives of the Tropics, they pass 

 three months of the year in a lethargic state. Seve- 

 ral species belong to Madagascar : such are, 



Centenes setosus, or Bristly Tenrec.* Of a brown 

 colour ; has six incisors hollowed out in each jaw, 

 and is larger than a hedgehog. 



C. armatus. The Armed Tenrec. Has the 

 head shorter, thicker; ears larger; is of a light 

 colour, and wholly covered with short spines. 



C. semispinosuSy or Half-spined Tenrec. Size 

 of a mole ; striped yellow and black ; very long 

 snout, having spines mixed with the hair. Incisors 

 and molars are all crooked, slender, and pointed. 



Mr. Macgillivray, we believe, has separated from 

 them, and formed a minor group of the Tendracs^ 

 under the name of Ericulus ;t but we know not by 

 what diagnosis, unless the lower incisors, amount- 

 ing to only four, constitute the character. It in- 

 cludes Ericulus nigrescenS) or swarthy tendrac, in 

 form very like a hedgehog, and a more doubtful 

 small species, E. spinosus, with a long white head, 



* Mr. Gray remarks, that Cuvier has, by mistake, mis- 

 placed his characters of the Tenrec and Tendrac, which last 

 is C. setosus. 



h Telfairs echinops from Madagascar, described by Martin. 

 See Proceedings Zool. Soc. for 1838. 



