EKINACEUS. 215 



104. Erinacens collaris. Hardivicke's Hedgehog. 



Erinaceus collaris, Gray and Hardtetcke, Illust. Ind. Zool. i, pi 8 

 (1830-32) ; Hutton, J. A, S. B. xiv, p. 351 ; Jerdoti, Mam p. 62. 



Erinaceus spatangus, Bennett, P. Z, S. 1832, p. 123. 



Erinaceus grayi, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 124 ; Anderson, J. A. S. It. 

 xlvii, pt. 2, p. 204, pi. iv ; id. C 'at. p. 1(50 ; Dobson, Man. Ins. p. 17. 



Eriuaceus blanfordi, Anderson, J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. 2, p. 208, pi. v. 



Kdnta chua, Kandcrna, Sinh, II. ; Khdrpusht, Jiy'uk, P. ; Jafio, Tar-fava, 

 Sindhi. These names are also applied to other species of the genus. 



Spines of moderate length, commencing behind a line joining 

 the anterior margins of the ears, and not divided on the middle of 

 the head by a naked space. Each spine surrounded by from 

 21 to 26 finely tuberculated ridges. Ears long, subtriangular, 

 bluntly pointed at the tip. Feet well developed, claws strong ; 

 sole of fore foot with a large bifid pad behind, sole of hind foot 

 without any prominent median pad behind opposite the hallux. 



Skull short and broad, with a strong and perfect zygomatic 

 arch. Second upper incisor about half the size of the third; 

 second upper premolar well developed, in the same line as the 

 other teeth, subtriangular in section, and furnished with three 

 roots. 



Colour dark. Fur on the lower parts and limbs blackish 

 brown to dark reddish brown ; the dark hairs on the face mixed 

 with grey or lighter brown ; chin whitish, this colour sometimes 

 running along to the mandible and up the sides of the neck, but 

 never forming quite so distinct a collar as in Hardwicke's original 

 figure of the species. Ears usually with short brown hair outside, 

 white inside. 



Spines white for the greater part of their length, about the 

 terminal third dark with a narrow white band near the tip, which 

 is black. Occasionally specimens occur in which nearly the ter- 

 minal half of each spine is black. 



Dimensions. Head and body 6'75 inches, tail 1, ears from base 

 1*3 to 1-5, hind foot without claws 1-2 to 1'5, longest spines 0'75. 

 Total length of skull 1'85 inches, basal length 1*8, zygomatic 

 breadth 1-15. 



Distribution. Throughout the Punjab, Sind, and North-western 

 India as far east as Fatehgarh, and probably to Cawnpore, if not 

 further. Unknown except in the plains. 



Habits. According to Hutton, who obtained this species in 

 Babawalpur, E. collaris is found in sandy country, hiding in holes 

 beneath thorny bushes or in tufts of grass during the day (I ob- 

 tained specimens in similar places near Kohri in Sind), feeding 

 chiefly on insects, especially a species of tilajjs, but also on lizards 

 and snails. It makes a grunting noise when irritated, and when 

 touched suddenly jerks up its back so as to throw its spines 

 forward, making at' the same time a sound like a puff from a pair 

 of bellows. Hutton also states that these animals bear long 

 abstinence with apparent ease. Nothing is known of the breeding- 

 habits of any Indian hedgehog. 



