THE TANREC AND TENDRAC. 265 



ing ; the mischievous animal drew out the meat, and left its 

 excrements in the stead. I kept males and females in the 

 same apartment, where they lived together, but- never 

 coupled. I permitted several of them to go about my garden, 

 they did very little damage ; and it was scarcely perceivable 

 that they were there : they lived upon the fruits that fell from 

 the trees ; they dug the earth into shallow holes ; they eat 

 caterpillars, beetles, and worms ; they were also very fond of 

 flesh, which they devoured boiled or raw." 



They couple in spring, and bring forth about the begin- 

 ning of summer. They sleep during the winter, and what 

 is said of their laying up provisions for that season, is conse- 

 quently false. They at no time eat much, and can remain 

 very long without any food whatsoever. Their blood is cold, 

 like all other animals that sleep during the winter. Their 

 flesh is not good for food ; and their skins are converted to 

 scarce any use. 



THE TANREC AND TENDRAC. 



The Tanrec and Tendrac, are two little animals described 

 by Mr. Buffon, of the Hedgehog kind ; but yet sufficiently 

 different from it to constitute a different species. Like the 

 Hedgehog they are covered with prickles, though mixed in a 

 greater proportion with hair ; but unlike that animal, they 

 do not defend themselves by rolling up in a ball. Their 

 wanting this property is alone sufficient to distinguish them 

 from an animal in which it makes the most striking pecu- 

 liarity : as also, that in the East Indies, where only they are 

 found, the Hedgehog exists separately also ; a manifest proof 

 that this animal is not a variety caused by the climate. 



The Tanrec is much less than the Hedgehog, being about 

 the size of a mole, and covered with prickles, like that animal, 

 except that they are shorter and smaller. The Tendrac is 

 still less than the former, and is defended only with prickles 

 upon the head, the neck, and the shoulders ; the rest being 

 covered with a coarse hair, resembling a hog's bristles. These 

 little animals, whose legs are very short, move but slowly. > 



