322 INSECTIVORES. 



these Insectivores are so unlike them in external appearance that it is difficult to 

 believe in their close affinity. It must be remembered, however, that the spines of 

 the hedgehogs totally alter the appearance of the creature from what it would be, 

 if unprovided with these appendages ; and if we were to compare a gymnura with 

 a young hedgehog, in which the spines were still I'udimentary, the difFereuce in 

 appearance would not be so very marked. 



The gymnuras are distinguished from the hedgehogs by the total 



harac ens ics. g^^^ggj^^g ^j spines ; and also by the long naked tail, from which they 



derive their name. Further points of distinction are atibrded by the complete 



bony roof to the palate, and also by the larger uund^er of teeth in the gymnuras, 



which is upwards of forty-four. 

 The large and typical number of 

 teeth characteristic of these 

 animals is, indeed, but very 

 rarelv met with among existing 

 Maumials, although it was com- 

 mon amongst extinct forms. In 

 this respect, therefore, the 

 gymnura beti-aj's the antiquity 

 of the group to which it belong.s. 

 ~EAF^s'^~^^I ^^ Raffles's gymnura {Gymmira 



rafflesi) — so named after Sir 

 Stamford Raffles — is an animal somewhat resembling a large rat with a long 

 pointed nose ; the length of the head and body varjdng from 12 to 14 inches, and 

 that of the long rat-like tail from 8i to 9i inches. The head and body are 

 genei'aUy parti-coloured, with considerable individual variation in tlie distribution 

 of the black and white. Usually, however, the greater pai-t of the head and neck 

 is white ; but there is a black patch in front of and another above each of the eyes, 

 and there are frequently some long black hairs on the crown of the head. The 

 terminal third of the tail is generally white. Occasionally specimens are found in 

 Burma of a uniform white colour throujrhout : these, however, must not be regarded 

 as albinos. The hair is of two kinds — a close, soft under-fur and long coarse bristles. 



„. ^ .^ ^. Raffles's gymnui-a is found in the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, 



Distnbution. . , ,, , ^ . . , 



in the Malay Penmsula, and m Burma. It is either a rare animal, or 



on account of its retiring and strictly nocturnal mode of life is but seldom met 



with. Of its habits we are still ignorant. It is, however, said to make its home 



beneath the roots of trees ; and, from the contents of the stomachs of specimens 



that have been examined, we learn that its food consists of different kinds of 



insects; cockroaches, white ants, and larvae being apparently its favourites. It 



is distinguished by a peculiarly disagreeable smell of a somewhat onionj' or 



garlic-like nature. 



Still more rare is the lesser gpunui-a {G. suilla), a small rusty-brown coloured 



animal, paler beneath, measuring just short of 5 inches in length, with a tail not 



exceeding an inch. It occurs in Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, 



and Java, ascending in Borneo to a considerable elevation above the sea-level on 



Mount Kina Balu in the northern part of the island. 



