609 



ERIGERON. 



ERIOCAULACE^:. 



610 



Erichthi, but always have the body more elongated. Their manners, 

 he adds, are not known, and he divides the five species into the 

 following sections : 



a. Species which have the hand of the prehensile feet unarmed with 



spines. 

 Ex. A. kyalina (Leach). Locality, Cape Verd. 



0. Species which have the hand of the prehensile feet armed with teeth 



or spines on the prehensile border. 

 Ex. A. laticcmda. Locality, New Guinea. (Quoy and Gaimard.) 



SI. Milne-Edwards observes that the species figured by M. Guerin 

 under the name of A. triacanthura, belongs to this division, and seems 

 to be distinguished from the other species by the brevity of the 

 rostrum, the shortness of the lateral blades of the caudal fin, &c. 



A. lonyii-oitrit of the same naturalist has not, according to M. 

 Edwards, been described, but seems to approach very nearly to the 

 preceding species. 



ERIGERON, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 C'ompontee, the sub-order Corymbiferce, the tribe Atteroidece, the sub- 

 tribe Aiterinea, the division Aalerece, the sub-division Erigerece. It 

 has many-flowered radiant heads ; the flowers of the ray ligulate, 

 with pistils only, and in many rows, those of the disc tubular ; 

 mostly with both stamens and pistils, the receptacle naked and foveo- 

 late ; the involucre imbricated, the pappus pilose in one or many rows, 

 the fruit compressed. 



. Philoddphicum has the stem slightly furrowed, downy, with 

 spreading hairs ; the leaves of the root cuneate-obovate, sometimes 

 deeply sinuate, the upper becoming gradually entire, oblong-lanceo- 

 late, and amplexicaul ; the florets of the ray 1-200, pale purple, slightly 

 bind. This plant is a native of North America, and is used as a medi- 

 cine in the United States. It possesses stimulant properties, and is 

 given as an emmenagogue ; it also acts on the kidneys, and is consi- 

 dered a valuable diuretic. It has a powerful fetid smell. 



K. acrit has the stem corymbose, the branches alternate, bearing 

 single heads ; the leaves linear, lanceolate, entire, spreading ; the lower 

 leaves narrowed below ; the ray erect, scarcely longer than the disc ; 

 the inner female florets filiform, numerous. It has a stem o-lS inches 

 high ; the flowers yellow in the disc and pale blue in the ray. The 

 ashes of this plant contain about 5 per cent, of potassa, and it is some- 

 times burned for procuring the alkali It has a strong scent, and like 

 many other species of the family is said to keep away fleas. With 

 species of C'onyza [Cox YZA] and Pullcaria [PULICABIA], it has the name 

 of Flea-Bane. It is a native of Europe, and is a common plant in Great 

 Britain. E. C'anademit and E. alpinui are also found in England and 

 Scotland : the first is a rare plant, and is found on waste ground ; the 

 second is a native of highland mountains. The species are numerous, 

 and some of them are ornamental plants. 



(Babington, Manual ; Burnett, Outline! of Botany ; Lindley, Flora 

 Medico,.) 



ERINACEUS, a genus of Animals to which the Hedgehog (HeVisson 

 of the French) is referred. The Hedgehogs are placed by Cuvier at 

 the head of the Insectivorous Mammifers ; and M. F. Cuvier observes 

 that in C'lirysochlorii the normal system of dentition of the Insect ivora 

 may be seen reduced to the narrowest dimensions, whilst in the Hedge- 

 hogs it appears to be brought to the greatest development. 



fi 1*7 



Dental Formula : Incisors, ; canines, 0; molars, -ZZi=3g. 



It has the following characters : Body covered with spines, with 

 the power of rolling itself up into a ball by means of appropriate 

 muscles ; muzzle pointed ; ears more or less apparent ; tail short ; 

 each foot 5-toed, and armed with robust claws. 



The species of Hedgehog have been recorded as inhabitants of 

 Europe, Africa, and India. 



K. Europfcun, the Common Hedgehog, is the Riccio of the Italians ; 

 Erizo of the Spanish ; Ourizo of the Portuguese ; L'Hdrisson of the 

 French ; Igel of the Germans ; Eegel-Varkeu of the Dutch ; Pin-Suin 

 of the Danes ; Draenog and Draen y Coed of the Welsh ; Urchin of 

 the British ; Echiniu terratris of Gesner ; Eckinue (Erinacem) terreatria 

 of Ray ; and Aco.nl lii'm rtilyarit of Klein. There can be little doubt 

 that it is the Echinut ('ExiVos) of Aristotle. 



This indigenous animal is too well known to need a lengthened 

 description. The length is generally rather more than 9 inches. 



The food of the Hedgehog, which is a nocturnal animal, consists 

 principally of insects, worms, slugs, and snails. That it will eat 

 vegetables is shown by White of Selborne, who relates how it eats 

 the root of the plaintain by boring beneath it, leaving the tuft of 

 leaves untouched. In the ' Zoological Journal' (vol. ii.) is an account 

 by Mr. Broderip of an experiment made by Professor Buckland, 

 proving that in captivity at least the Hedgehog will devour snakes ; 

 but there is no good reason for supposing that it will not do the same 

 in a state of nature, for frogs, toads, and other reptiles, and mice have 

 been recorded as its prey. From its fondness for insects it is often 

 placed in the London kitchens to keep down the swarms of cock- 

 roaches with which they are infested ; and there are generally 

 hedgehogs on sale in Covent Garden market for this purpose. It is 

 hardly worth while to refute the idle story that this persecuted animal 



KAT. HJOT. DIT. VOL. II. 



sucks the cows ; but according to Sir William Jardine it is very fond 

 of eggs, and is consequently mischievous in the game-preserve and 

 hen-house. The Hedgehog hybemates regularly, and early in the 

 summer brings forth from two to four young ones at a birth, which 

 at the time of their production are blind, aud have the spines white, 

 soft, and flexible. The nest wherein they are cradled is said to be 

 very artificially constructed, the roof being rain-proof. The mother 

 has been known to eat her young in confinement. 



The flesh of the Hedgehog when it has been well fed is sweet and 

 well-flavoured, and is eaten on the continent in many places. In 

 Britain few besides the gipsies partake of it. The prickly skin appears 

 to have been used by the Romans for hackling hemp. 



Among the foreign Erinaccadce, Erinaceus spatangus and Erinaceus 

 Grayii will be found recorded in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society' for 1832. Both came from the Himalaya Mountains, aud 

 the latter was considered by Dr. Gray to be identical with Erinaceus 

 collaris, figured in the ' Illustrations of Indian Zoology.' Mr. Bennett 

 however regarded it as a new species, inasmuch as Erinaceus Grayii 

 was destitute of a white collar, and differed in other particulars from 

 the figure referred to. A species from the interior of South Africa, 

 forming part of the collection brought from that country by Mr. A. 

 Steedman, Erinaceus frontalis, is recorded in, the same volume of the 

 ' Proceedings.' 



Dr. Gray places the sub-family Erinacina under the family Talpidce. 



The following species are to be found in the list of specimens of 

 Mammalia in the British Museum : E. mentalis, Himalaya; E. awitns, 

 Siberia ; E. frontalu, South Africa ; E. collaris, India ; E. Grayii, 

 India ; E. Europeans, England ; E. spatangus, India. 



ERINITE, a Mineral consisting of Arseniate of Copper. It occurs 

 in concentric and mammillated layers, between which other arseuiates 

 are found. The layers have rough surfaces and a fibrous structure. 

 The colour is a brilliant emerald-green inclining to grass-green. Streak 

 paler. Fracture uneven or imperfect conchoidal. Its hardness is 

 4'5 to 5'0. Lustre slightly resinous. Slightly translucent. The 

 specific gravity 4~0 to 4'1. It is found near Limerick. Its analysis, 

 by Turner, gives : 



Arsenic Acid 33'7S 



Oxide of Copper 59'44 



Alumina 1'77 



Water . . . . . . . 5'01 



ERIOCAULACE^E, Pipeworts, a group of Endogenous Plants sub- 

 ordinate to Restiacece, for the most part inhabiting swampy or marshy 

 places, or the bottom of lakes, and having the flowers collected into 

 dense heads. The sexes are separated ; the perianth consists of from 

 2 to 6 divisions immersed in soft bracts ; there are from 2 to 6 stamens ; 

 the styles are 2 or 3 ; the cells of the ovary are the same number, and 

 the seeds solitary, with lines of hairs upon their surface. The embryo 

 is placed on the outside of the albumen at the apex of the seed. 



JKfiocanlun dendroideum, 



1, a female flower with six segments to its perianth, the three outermost of 

 which are broadest and fringed with long hairs. The ovary has three stigmas, 

 exterior to which are three horn-like appendages. 2, a male flower ; a bract 

 at the base, the three outer divisions of the perianth separate, the three inner 

 united into a three-toothed cup, and three stamens within its border. 



The flowers are always very small and difficult to examine on account 

 of the thinness and delicacy of their texture. Eriocaulon itself is the 

 principal genus, consisting of about 120 known species, 94 or 95 of 

 which are met with in the equinoctial parts of America, and one 

 solitary instance, E. teptangularc, in the Isle of Skye. Mr. Bongard, 



2 it 



