lOS J. Anderson — On the. Indian Species [No. 4, 



shaped and tubercular, but moderately elongated with well-developed toes 

 and generally long claws. 



The feet of hedgehogs would appear to be the subject of considerable 

 variation, as some have only 4 toes on the hind feet, (Peroechinus Fitzinger), 

 and moreover the central pad of the hind feet would appear to be rudimen- 

 tary in some species and to be present in others, while, as has just been shown, 

 some of them have tubercular soles. It appears to me therefore that relia- 

 ble specific characters are to be observed in the feet of the members of this 

 genus, but I do not consider any of the variations to be of sub-generic value. 

 As an illustration of the differences that subsist in this respect, it will be 

 observed that the species JE. grayi does not possess any true central pad on 

 the hind foot, a structure which is largely developed in E. jerdoni^ but 

 nearly absent in E. hlanfordi, which, as was to be expected from this cir- 

 cumstance, is closely allied to E. grayi. 



Another feature in the structure of Indian hedgehogs is deserving of 

 attention, and that is the presence on the vertex, in some species, of a consi* 

 derable nude area quite devoid of spines, and even of the most rudimentary 

 hairs. This naked area reaches forwards to where the spines arise on the 

 forehead, dividing those on this region into two sets, one on either side of 

 the head. It occurs in all the Indian species with the exception of E. 

 grayi and E. hlanfordi, and it is present also in E. niger and E. macra* 

 cantlms, whereas it does not appear to exist in the European hedgehog and 

 I have not observed it in any of the following species, viz., E. auritus, E. 

 alhulus, and E. megalotis, all of which, however, like the Indian species, 

 whether with or without this area, agree in having fine soft almost silky hair, 

 very distinct from the long bristly hair that clothes the body of the Euro- 

 pean species. 



In the Zoology of Persia* a small hedgehog is figured along with the 

 type of E. macracanthus. Both of the specimens which yielded the figures 

 are now in the Indian Museum and the latter is distinguished (E. macra- 

 canthus,) by this nude area and black spines with two white rings, and the 

 former, which Blanford considered as a young specimen of the species, by 

 the entire absence of the bare area and by yellowish spines of which the 

 tips are white, followed by a narrow black ring succeeded by a white and this 

 again by a short brown space. This small hedgehog in the character of 

 its spines and in the absence of the bare area on the vertex resembles E. 

 megalotis, but it does not appear to be that species. I am disposed to con- 

 clude that this bare area is of too great structural importance to be present 

 or absent among members of a species and to consider it as of specific signi- 

 ficance. With regard to the disposition of the spines it would appear that 



* Zool. of Persia, Blanford, 1876, PI. 1. 



