1881.] MR. G. E. DOBSON ON THE ERINACETD.E. 389 



4. Notes on the Anatomy of the Erinaceidce. 

 By G. E. DoBsoN, M.A., M.B., &c. 



[Eeceived February 21, 1881.] 



In entering upon the study of the Insectivora', the species of the 

 family Erinaceidse recommend themselves as the primary objects for 

 examination, not only on account of their comparatively large size, 

 but also by their remarkably central position vyith respect to the 

 other species of the Order. 



Experience in dealing with the natural history of another mam- 

 malian order, the Chiroptera, has specially impressed upon the 

 writer the great importance of investigating, as far as possible, the 

 internal structure of the leading forms before attempting to classify 

 the species according to their natural affinities. He therefore pur- 

 poses, in treating of the natural history of each family of Insectivora, 

 to preface the systematic part of the work with an account of the 

 anatomy of the principal species^. 



The family Eiinaceidae comprises two genera only, Gymnura and 

 Erinaceus : the latter is represented by several species, inhabiting 

 chiefly the temperate and subtropical parts of the Palaearctic, 

 Ethiopian, and Oriental regions ; the former by a single species, 

 which is apparently limited to the Indo-Malayan subregion. 



With the exception of a few scattered notices, all imperfect and 

 many incorrect, and referring only to the common European Hedge- 

 hog, no account has hitherto been pubhshed of the anatomy of the 

 species of this family. 



The genus Gymnura is represented by a single species, G. rafflesii, 

 inhabiting Southern Burma, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, hitherto 

 known only from a few more or less imperfect skeletons and some 

 dried skins. Lately, however, a very perfect skeleton has been 

 added to the collection of the British Museum ; and Mr. W. T. 

 Blanford, F.R.S., has placed in the writer's hands for examination 

 a specimen of an adult female ^ well preserved in alcohol, which 

 was obtained by Mr. Davison at Bankasiin, in Southern Tenas- 

 serim. 



* The following notes on the anatomy of the species of the family Erinaceids9 

 are extracted from the MS. of the first part of a Systematic and Anatomical 

 Treatise on the Order Insectivora, wliich the writer is about to publish as a 

 separate work. 



^ For the material which has formed the basis of this paper the especial 

 thanks of the writer are due to Mr. W. T. Blanford, F.E.S., who placed hia 

 excellent collection of the species of Asiatic Erinaceidre at his disposal ; to 

 Prof. W. H. Flower, F.E.S., Conservator of the Huuterian Museum ; to Dr. 

 G-iinther, P.R.S., Keeper of the Zoological Department of the British Museum ; 

 and to Monsieiu; Fernand Lata.ste, President of the Zoological Society of France, 

 who forwarded for examination the valuable specimens of Insectivora collected 

 by him in Algeria. 



3 Described in Mr. Blanford's paper " On some Mammals from Tenasserim," 

 in Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xlvii. part ii. 1878, p. 150. 



