93 CARNIVORA. 



Creator? With what animal doep the Walrus have severe conflicts? What 



is its food ? What is said of its flesh ? 







SECTION XVI. 



SUB-ORDER INSECTIVORA. (Lat. insecta, insect, voro, to eat.) 

 The INSECTIVORA, as the term denotes, comprehends those ani- 

 mals whose food is especially insects, but not exclusively, as 

 sometimes they feed on other, and even vegetable substances. 

 They walk on the sole of the foot, (plantigrada.) The sub-or- 

 der includes three families. Their motions are feeble, feet short 

 and slender, snout lengthened. In cold climates they pass the 

 winter in a dormant state. 



HEDGE-HOGS, (Erinaceadce, from erinaceus, Lat. for hedge-hog.) 

 The true hedge-hogs are found in Europe, Asia and Africa, 

 while others are found in Madagascar and the Oriental Islands. 

 They are slow and inoffensive, but are self-defended by a coat 

 of stiff, tough spines or prickles. They roll themselves up into 

 a round ball, and thus the spines project from every part of the 

 surface, and are a defence and safeguard. They lie concealed 

 in some crevice between the moss-grown roots of a tree, among 

 a mass of withered leaves, or in a hole which they have exca- 

 vated ; and in this condition, the animal remains during the day, 

 protected from injury in the way before described, should its 

 retreat be discovered. As the dusk of evening comes on, it 

 issues from its lurking place and prowls about for food. If 

 pursued it makes no defence, but rolls itself up and trusts to its 

 spines for safety. These are, indeed, the only means of defence 

 bestowed upon this little, weak and timid animal. It feeds upon 

 insects, frogs, snails, fruits, and esculent roots. It is useful in 

 gardens, and often kept in large kitchens for the destruction of 

 beetles and cockroaches. 



The TENREC, (Centetes, Gr. xevrfa, kenteo, to sting or prick,) 

 called also the Asiatic or striped hedge-hog, of Madagascar, 

 has no tail, but is covered with a spiny coat of mail. It rolls 

 itself up in the way of the hedge-hog already mentioned, 

 though not so easily, is nocturnal, and passes three months of 

 the year in sleep. Some are not larger than a mole. 



The species are Tenrec Centetes acaudatus, Lat. a, without, 

 cauda, a tail.) 



C. setosus, (Lat. bristly.) Its spines are short and rigid. 



Vaiied Tenrec, C.semi-spinosus, (Lat. semi, half, spina, spine.) 

 Its body is clothed with a mixture of spines and bristles. 



SOREX, (Lat. shrew.) The SHREWS have usually been con- 

 sidered a kind of mice and of the order Rodentia. They are, 



