670 CLASS XVII. 



World, but all, with the exception of a single species, in warm 

 countries. These animals possess clavicles, which, however, are not 

 quite perfect, being attached to the sternum only and not to the 

 scapula; they have commonly fourteen ribs; the length of the tail 

 and the number of its component vertebrae is very various. The 

 skeleton presents, in all instances, five digits on the fore and hind 

 limbs, of which however the innermost is short or imperfect. They 

 feed on young shoots of trees, bark and fruits. 



Comp. F. CUVIER Examen des especes du genre Porc-tpic, &c., Mem. du 

 Mm. ix. 1822, pp. 413 437, with fig.; J. F. BRANDT Mammalium 

 exoticorum novorum vel minus rede coynitorum Descriptiones et Icones, 

 Petropoli, 1835, pp. 2189. 



Tribe I. Philodendrce BRANDT. Head short, truncate anteriorly. 

 Molar teeth with roots distinctly divided, somewhat short, sinking 

 into the jaws not very deeply. Orbital process situated over the 

 first molar tooth. Soles of feet warty. (Species American.) 



Cercolabes BRANDT (Bphiggurus and Synctheres F. Guv.). Tail 

 long, prehensile, thinly haired towards the tip, annulate. Hind feet 

 with only four unguiculate toes. 



Sp. Cercolabes prehensilis, Hystrix prehensilis ~L., BUFF. Suppl. vii. PL 78, 

 Cuv. jR. Ani., 3d. itt., Mammif. PI. 65, fig. i ; Brasil, Surinam, with 

 strong spines, black at the base, white at the point ; Cercolabes insidiosus 

 BRANDT, Hystrix insidiosa LICHTENST., Sphiggurus villosus F. Cov., MAX. 

 AW. zur Naturgesch. Lief, n., SCHREB. Saugth. Tab.i68 A, GUER. Iconogr., 

 Mammif. PI. 30, fig. 2 ; smaller ; the spines concealed under the long hair 

 of the back. These species live in trees in South America, feed on fruits, 

 and are very slow in their movements ; they mostly rest by day. (See also 

 BURMEISTER Syst. UebersicJit der Thiere Brasiliens, I. Berlin, 1854, s. 216 

 -225.) 



Note. Sub-genus Ckcetomys GRAY 1 , Plectrochcerus PICTET (is it a distinct 

 genus?). Spines flexile on the head and fore part of the back, passing into 

 setae on the rest of the back. Skull differs from that of the rest of the 

 Aculeata by the orbit nearly closed posteriorly and the broad zygoma. Sp. 

 Cercol. subspinosus WAGN., Hystrix subspinosa LICHTENST., KUHL. Hab. 

 in the North of Brasil. 



Erethizon F. Cuv. Tail short. Hind feet with five unguicu- 

 late toes. Spines concealed amongst the long hair. 



Sp. EretkizondorsatumCvv., Hystrix dorsata L., BUFF. xn. PI. 55, RICHARDS. 

 Faun. bor. Am. I. pp. 214 216; in North America from 37 to 67 N.L. ; 

 the individuals of this species are very variously coloured ; some yellow- 

 brown, others black. 



1 Proceed, of the Zool. Soc. 1843, PP- 2r 



