298 



Crcaattri) of 



biting Sumatra. In its dentition and spiny 

 covering it closely resembles the Hedgehog 

 tribe ; but it has the long, naked, scaly tail 

 and pointed muzzle of the Shrews. Its 

 generic character has been given by Dr. 

 Horsfield and Mr. Vigors : Head elongated, 

 acuminated, compressed on the sides, flattish 

 above ; muzzle obtuse, elongated, and pro- 

 jecting forward considerably beyond the 

 lower jaw ; tongue rather smooth, large : 

 auricles rounded, somewhat prominent, 

 naked : eyes small ; nostrils lateral, promi- 

 nent, with the margins convoluted ; vibrissae 

 elongated. Body rather robust ; the short 

 fur soft, but with distant, erect, subelongated 

 hairs : tail rather long, smootli, naked, and 

 scaly. Feet plantigrade, pentadactyle, the 

 fore-feet with a rather short thumb. Claws 

 narrow, curved, very acute, and retractile. 

 The body, legs, and first half of the tail are 

 black ; the head, the neck, and the shoulders 

 are white ; and a black band passes over the 

 eyes. Cuvier, in his " Rfegne Animal " (1829), 

 observes that the genus Gymnura of MM. 

 Vigors and Horsfield appears to approach 

 Cladobates in its teeth, and the Shrews in its 

 pointed muzzle and scaly tail. It has five 

 unguiculated toes on all its feet, and rather 

 stiff bristles projecting forth from the woolly 

 hair. The species is called G. RAFFLESII, 

 in compliment to the accomplished founder 

 of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles. 



GYPAETUS, or BEARDED VULTURE. 

 A genus of birds which may be considered 

 as intermediate between the eagles and vul- 

 tures. The BEAUDED VULTUKE (.Gwi : tus 

 barbatus*), sometimes called the Bearded 

 Griffin or Lammergeyer, is the largest bird 

 of prey belonging to the Eastern Continent, 

 and it appears to be the only Vulture which 

 has ever been found in a wild state in Bri- 

 tain. It usually inhabits the high chains of 

 mountains, and nestles in inaccessible accli- 



vities. It is found in Europe as far north as 

 Astracan, but is much more common in 

 Spain, on the Pyrenees, Portugal, the isle of 

 Elba, Tuscany, Malta, Turkey, and in the 

 Archipelago ; but is nowhere so abundant 

 as in South Africa, in which quarter it at- 

 tains a larger size than elsewhere. In the 

 adult bird the head and upper part of the 

 neck are of a dirty white colour ; a black 

 stripe extends from the base of the beak, 



and passes above the eyes ; another, arising 

 behind the eyes, passes over the ears ; lower 

 part of the neck, breast, and belly, orange- 

 red ; mantle, back, and wing-coverts, deep 

 grey-brown, but on the centre of each feather 

 is a white longitudinal stripe : wings and 

 tail-feathers ashy-grey, the shafts white ; 

 tail long, very much graduated ; beak and 

 claws black ; feet blue ; iris orange, eye sur- 

 rounded by a red lid. Length about four 

 feet and a half. 



"Unlike the typical vultures," says Mr. 

 Gould, "which are distinguished by their bare 

 necks, indicative of their propensity for feed- 

 ing on carrion, the Lammergeyer has the 

 neck thickly covered with feathers, resem- 

 bling those of the true eagles, with which it 

 also accords in its bold and predatory habits, 

 pouncing with violent impetuosity on ani- 

 mals exceeding itself in size ; hence the 

 young chamois, the wild goat, the mountain 

 hare, and various species of birds find in it a 

 formidable and ferocious enemy. Having 

 seized its prey, the Lammergeyer devours it 

 upon the spot, the straight form of their talons 

 disabling them from carrying it to a distance. 

 It refuses flesh in a state of putrefaction, 

 unless sharply pressed by hunger ; hence 

 nature has limited this species as to numbers : 

 while, on the other hand, to the Vultures, 

 who are destined to clear the earth from 

 animal matter in a state of decomposition, 

 and thus render the utmost service to man 

 in the countries where they abound, she has 

 given an almost illimitable increase." 



GYRINUS : GYRINID^E. A genus and 

 family of aquatic Beetles, the type of which 

 is known under the name of Whirligigs, or 



Water-flea, from its peculiar motio: 

 are in general of small or moderate size , 

 and are to be seen, from the first fine days of 

 spring till the end of autumn, on the surface 

 of quiet waters, and even upon that of the 

 sea, often appearing in great numbers, and 

 appearing like brilliant points. They are 

 active swimmers, and curvet about in every 

 direction. Sometimes they remain stationary 

 without the slightest motion ; but no sooner 

 are they approached , than they escape by 

 darting under the surface of the water, and 

 swimming off with the greatest agility. The 

 four hind-legs are used as oars, and the 

 anterior ones for seizing the prey : when 

 they dart beneath the surface, a bubble of 

 air like a silvery ball remains attached to the 

 hind part of the body. When seized, they 

 discharge a milky fluid, which spreads over 

 the body, and probably produces the dis- 

 agreeable odour which they then emit. 

 There are several species found in this 

 country, but it is not necessary to describe 

 them separately. These beetles are almost 

 the only water insects which exhibit a bril- ; 

 liant metallic lustre, a peculiarity dependent I 

 upon the habits of the insects which gene- i 

 rally swim upon the surface of the water. 



HADDOCK. (Gadiis ceglejinus.) This ! 

 well-known Malacopterygious fish is nearly I 

 allied to the cod ; and, like it, is a native ' 

 of the Northern seas, where it assembles j 

 in prodigious shoals, visiting particular I 



