ERINACEITS MICROPUS. 63 



86. Erinaceus micropus. 



BLYTH, J. A. S. XV. 171. Cat. 237. E. nudiventris, HORSFIELD. 

 E. collaris, from Madras, apud GRAY. 



THE SOUTH-INDIAN HEDGEHOG. 



Descr. Ears moderately large ; form somewhat elongated ; tail very 

 short, concealed ; muzzle rather sharp ; feet and limbs very small ; head 

 and ears nude, sooty colour; belly very thinly clad with yellowish hairs; 

 spines ringed dark-brown and whitish, or whitish with a broad brown 

 subterminal ring, tipped white. 



Length of one, about 6 inches. 



Wagner describes (Schreber, Suppl. II. 22) E. albiventris, probably 

 from India : " abdomen and sides clad with white setae ; spines ringed 

 white and yellowish-brown ; feet slender." -This is perhaps the same as 

 our species. 



This hedgehog is stated to be found at Madras, and on the Neelgherries. 

 Many years ago I procured one alive at Trichinopoly, which I gave to 

 Mr. Walter Elliot, and I have reason to believe that this specimen is the 

 supposed E. cottaris from Madras, now in the British Museum. I never 

 got another specimen from the Carnatic, yet it must be a denizen of the 

 low jungles of the extreme South of India. It has also been obtained on 

 the Neelgherries, and on the Western range of Ghats ; it is said not to 

 be rare near the Missionary Station of Cottayam, inland from Cochin. 

 It is probably one of the two species stated to be found in Ceylon. 



Bennett has described Erinacvus Grayii, from the Himalayas, the 

 spines yellowish-white, with a blackish ring in the upper half; ears and 

 lower jaw with white hairs ; head above brown, with some white hairs 

 intermixed ; 6 inches long. The same naturalist has described E. spatan- 

 gus, from the Himalayas ; spines parallel to each other, white beneath, 

 blackish above ; those on the sides with a small yellow ring near the 

 point ; ears and chin white ; 3 inches long, This is probably the young 

 of the former one, and perhaps both are referable to E. cottaris. Gray 

 has also E. mentalis from India, the black-chinned hedgehog, not 

 described. Besides the well-known E. europceus of Europe, there are 

 described, E. concolor, Martin, from Asia Minor ; E. auritus, Pallas, 

 from Central Asia ; and E. megalotis, Blyth, from Afghanistan, perhaps 

 the same as Pallas's species ; and there are several from Africa. 



