206 Zoological Society : — 



the lower surface pale, irregularly black-marbled or spotted. The 

 front pair of callosities small, oblong. 



Younger specimen, the head and dorsal shield pale brown, mar- 

 bled with large black (often inosculating) streaks ; lower part of head 

 and sternum black, with large, irregular-sized, pale spots, some of 

 which are symmetrical. 



Hab. "West Africa, River Niger ? 



The largest specimen, which is not full-grown, is 1 1 inches long ; 

 the dorsal shield 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. 



April 11, 1865.— Prof. T- H. Huxley, F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Description or a New Species of Indian Porcupine. 

 By p. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. 



About three years ago I received a communication from our excel- 

 lent Corresponding Member, Colonel Sir William Thomas Denison, 

 K.C.B., Governor of Madras, inquiring of me whether anything was 

 known in Europe of a second Indian Porcupine, distinguished from 

 the common species by having some of its quills of a deep orange- 

 colour. Upon my replying that this Porcupine appeared to be un- 

 represented in our collections of animals either living or dead in this 

 country, and would moreover probably prove new to science, Sir 

 William promised to do his best to obtain living specimens of it for 

 the Society's Menagerie. The first examples of this animal obtained 

 by Sir William for transmission to this country died, I believe, before 

 they were shipped. But in the latter part of last year Sir William 

 was successful in obtaining four other living specimens, which reached 

 this country in safety on the 22nd of December last. Three of these 

 Porcupines are still living in the Society's Menagerie. The fourth 

 died a few days after its arrival, and was found one morning already 

 partially devoured by its carnivorous companions. Enough, however, 

 remained of it to make a tolerably good skin, which, together with 

 the skull, I now exhibit. Upon these materials I propose to attempt 

 to give characters to this hitherto undescribed species. 



Before doing so, however, I should mention that this species, 

 although it has never yet been described, and, as far as I can ascer- 

 tain, has never reached Europe before, alive or dead, has been already 

 provided with a name, which I do not propose to alter. Mr. Francis 

 Day, Fellow of this Society, late of H. M. Madras Medical Service, 

 in his work on the native Indian state of Cochin, called * The Land 

 of the Permauls,' published at Madras in 1863, has spoken of this 

 animal as " The Orange Porcupine, Hystrix malabaricus" and given 

 some details respecting it*. Mr. Day has also kindly supplied me 

 with some further notes respecting it, which I shall give presently. 



I commence, however, by characterizing the species, which belongs 

 to the typical Hystrices, and is very closely aUied to H. leucura, as 



Hystrix malabarica, sp. nov. 



H. cristcB setis purpurascenti-nigris, unicoloribus ; rostro pilis 

 * Land of the Permauls, pp. 446, 447. 



