THE TAIL-LESS TENREC 167 



of the forest, but are there no four-footed animals in the Mada- 

 gascar woods except the wild boar ? Yes, there certainly are 

 many such, for there are at least fifty species of quadrupeds 

 already known in addition to the lemurs ; but as they are, most 

 of them, small sixteen are species of rats and mice, and 

 twenty-three are a kind of hedgehog, and therefore are burrow- 

 ing animals they are not at all conspicuous and must be 

 sought for if we want to observe their habits ; and the ten 

 species of carnivora are also mostly small in size. Leaving for 

 the present the carnivora and the rodentia, let me say here 

 what can be said of interest about a group of small animals 

 which are in habit and appearance much like the European 

 hedgehogs, being of the same order (the insect-eaters), but 

 belonging to a distinct family, the Centetidae, which, except 

 for one genus, 'are peculiar to Madagascar. Some of these 

 animals have a covering of strong spines, while in other species 

 this consists rather of firm prickly hairs, which, however, do 

 not cover the whole of the body. The larger kinds, called 

 Trdndraka by the Malagasy, are used by them for food, and 

 have very much the taste of pork. (I have eaten them once 

 or twice, but they are rather rich and greasy.) They are found 

 in the woods, but especially in the scattered brushwood in the 

 vicinity of the forests ; and we occasionally met with two or 

 three varieties of these harmless creatures while rambling in the 

 outskirts of the woods. Our dog often chased and attempted 

 to worry them, but she usually came back with her mouth and 

 nose stuck full of prickles and looking like a pincushion, and 

 apparently very uncomfortable. 



The tail-less tenrec (Centetes ecaudatus) is the largest and 

 best known of its family. Its manner of life is remarkable, for 

 it passes half the year, the cold season, in a profound sleep, in 

 a burrow which it excavates about May or June. The female 

 is very prolific, bringing forth from twelve to twenty-two 

 young ones, which are bravely defended by the mother against 

 every enemy. Their food consists chiefly of earthworms, and 

 also of roots, fruits and insects. They sleep almost constantly 

 during the day, while they are very active during the night ; 

 and what has been here said of the Trdndraka as to habits, food, 

 etc., may be taken as representing what might be said of most 

 of the Centetidae. The striped tenrec is about the size of a 



