MALACCA HEDGEHOG. 551 



the appearance of a Porcupine, that nothing but 

 a severe adherence to systematic arrangement 

 from the teeth, could justify its being placed in 

 the present genus : yet even this particular seems 

 not yet distinctly known, the animal being rarely 

 imported into Europe. Mr. Pennant supposes 

 that Linnaeus might have been induced to con- 

 sider it as belonging to the present genus, on ac- 

 count of the number of its toes, which are said 

 to be five on the fore feet, instead of four, as in 

 the Porcupine. The accurate Brisson, however, 

 considered it as a species of Hedgehog, and Lin- 

 nasus, in compliance with his opinion, transferred 

 it from the genus Hystrix to that of Erinaceus. 

 The particular size is nQt mentioned by Seba, but it 

 appears to be a large species, since the length of 

 its quills is said to be from an inch to a foot and 

 half, on different parts of the animal. It is there- 

 fore probably about the size of the common Por- 

 cupine, and they are variegated in a similar 

 manner: the ears are large and pendulous, and 

 there is no crest or ruff of longer bristles than the 

 rest on the back of the head, as in the common 

 Porcupine. 



This is said to be the animal from which is ta- 

 ken the particular Bezoar, called Piedra del Porco, 

 the Lapis Hystricis, Bezoar Hystricis and Lapis 

 Porcinus, of the old Materia Medica, so long and 

 so highly extolled on account of its supposed vir- 

 tues, which were such, according to some authors, 

 as to produce the most wonderful and salutary ef- 



