140 



VEUTKHKATA. 



turnal animals, Bleeping during the day in holes under the roots of trees or stones, and coming 

 forth al nighl in Bearch of insects, fruits, and roots. Those which inhahit cold climates pass the 

 winter in a state of torpidity. The female produces from four to six at a birth, in the month of 

 June : these at firsl are of a pose-white. When of the size of a hen's egg, their prickles are well 

 developed. The mother muses them for a short time, and then leaves them to seek their for- 

 tune, whieli they are well able to do. 



The common European hedgehog, Erinaceus europceus, is found in woods and hedgerows, and 

 in England is nol unfrequently kept in kitchens for the purpose of destroying cockroaches. It 

 feeds freelj upon almosl all kinds of animal and vegetable matter, and kills and devours animals 

 which none of the other insectivora won id venture to attack, such as snakes, which it eats, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Broderip, "as one would eal a radish," commencing at the tail and eating upward. It 

 will even eat the inseeis called Cantharides, or Spanish flies, which would kill almost any other 

 animal; hut the hedgehog suffers no inconvenience from them. In illustration of the strength of 

 the prickles in its skin, Professor Bell states that he has repeatedly seen a hedgehog belonging to 

 himself precipitate itself down an area twelve or fourteen feet deep, and, by rolling itself up into a 

 ball, arrive at the bottom without the least injury. 



The other species are the Long-eaeed Hedgehog, E.auritus, and the E. concolor, found on the 

 borders of the Black Sea; the E. Grayi and the E. spatangus of the Himalaya Mountains; the 

 E. nvdiventris, of Madia- ; the E. col [aria, of India; the E. Algirus, of Barbary, and the E. fron- 

 talis and I:'. < 'apensis, of Southern Africa. The bones of hedgehogs are found largely in the fossil 

 remains of Europe. 



/ 



RAFFLE S CYMXURE. 



THE GYMNURES. 



Of this family there is but a single genus, GYMNURE, Gymnura, and a single species, Gymnura 

 Rafflisi',, found in Sumatra. It is little known, but seems to possess more teeth than the hedge- 

 hog — that is, forty-four in number. It is nearly of the same size as that animal, but its body is 

 more elongated. Its fur is soft, and of a grayish color: its tail is long, and nearly naked. Its' 

 formation is in Beveral respects peculiar, and hence it has been placed among the viverrins by some 

 naturalists, and among the marsupials by others. We follow Gervais in placing it next the hedge- 

 hogs, with which it seems to have the closest affinity. 



