45 2 



THE TANREC. 



touching the table on which it is placed, or walking with a heavy step across the room. 

 One experimenter, who thought that intense cold was the cause of the torpidity, sur- 

 rounded a hibernating Hedgehog with a freezing mixture, in the hope of plunging the 

 animal into a more profound sleep. The result, however, was entirely different from 

 his expectation, for the excess of cold first awoke the sleeping animal and afterwards 

 froze it to death. 



If the sleeping Hedgehog -be touched, or otherwise disturbed, it rouses itself from its 

 lethargy, walks about a little, takes some food, if there should be any at hand, and soon 

 returns to its somnolent condition. 



It is a very curious fact that if a hibernating animal be suddenly decapitated, before 

 it has time to awake from its sleep, the action of the heart continues to last for a con- 

 siderable time, as if it were endowed with a kind of independent life. In one experi- 

 ment, not only was the brain removed, but the entire spinal cord removed ; yet the 

 heart continued to pulsate for two hours, and for more than twelve hours would contract 

 if touched with the point of a penknife. The animal on which this experiment was 

 made had been continually torpid for rather more than six days. 



As might be gathered from the result of this wonderful experiment, the respiration of 

 hibernating animals is extremely slight, so slight, indeed, as to be almost imperceptible. 

 Long and delicate rods have been so fixed to the slumbering animal that the smallest 

 movement was apparent, and yet they never moved perceptibly unless the animal were 

 roused by a touch or the sudden shock of an incautious footstep. It is a curious fact 

 that whenever the hibernating Hedgehog is thus roused it utters a deep sonorous res- 

 piration, which is a test of its being truly hibernating. Should it be only in the ordinary 

 sleep, the creature only stirs uneasily, and silently coils itself more firmly than before. 



The sight of the Hedgehog does not appear to be so excellent as its powers of scent, 

 which are admirably developed, as may be seen by opening the side of a Hedgehog's face. 



One of these animals has been seen to chase a partridge across a road, following her 

 through the hedge with perfect precision ; and another was observed to discover the 

 presence of mankind by means of its powers of scent, as it was in a position from 

 whence it could not see its fancied enemies. The Hedgehog had already passed the 

 observers, who remained perfectly quiet in order to watch its proceedings, but after it 

 had run fora few paces, it suddenly stopped, seemed suspicious of some danger, stretcbed 

 its nose in the air, and stood on its guard. In a few moments it seemed to have set 

 itself at ease, and resumed its course. The spectators then slightly shifted their posi- 

 tion, so as to bring the animal again within the range of their " wind," when the creature 

 repeated the same process, and did not appear entirely at its ease for some little time. 



ALTHOUGH unable to contract itself into a ball, after the manner of the true Hedgehogs, 

 the TANREC, or MADAGASCAR HEDGEHOG, as it is sometimes called, is closely allied to 

 these animals, and in many respects bears some resemblance to them. 



In size, this animal is about the equal of the European Hedgehog, but is rather more 

 elongated in its form, and furnished with longer legs, so that when it walks it does not 

 carry its abdomen so close to the ground, as is the case with the preceding animal. 

 The muzzle of the Tanrec, or Tenrec, as the name is sometimes written, is extremely 

 elongated, rather sharply pointed, and brown in color ; the ears are small and rounded, 

 and the tail is absent, a peculiarity which has earned for the animal its specific title of 

 ecaudatus, or tail-less. The generic name, Centetes, or more correctly, Kentetes, is of 

 Greek origin, and signifies " thorny," in allusion to the short and thorn-like spines with 

 which the body is covered. 



The color of the Tanrec is rather variable at different times, on account of the 

 variegated tints which bedeck the array of quills that adorn and defend its back. These 

 quills are black towards their tips, and yellowish towards their bases, so that either tint 

 predominates, according to the arrangement of the quills. In length they are inferior to 

 those of the Hedgehog, the largest not exceeding an inch. The throat, abdomen, and 

 inside faces of the limbs are covered with rather coarse yellowish hairs, and the sides and 

 flanks are decorated with long silken hairs of the same color as the spines. 



Like the Hedgehog, the Tanrec is a hibernating animal, sleeping for at least three 



