196 iV. T. Blanford — ]}^ew Hedgehog from Muscat. [Dec. 



N. indica had been for so long generally applied to the other common Indian 

 species that to transfer the specific term would cause great confusion, 

 and should be avoided if possible. It must be understood, however, that if 

 it be once conceded that the plate in Gray and Hardwicke's * Illustrations* 

 was undoubtedly intended to represent N. hardwickei, there was no choice 

 in the matter, the rules of nomenclature must be followed and the species 

 must stand henceforth as N. indica. It was no more practicable to substi- 

 tute the later name N. Jiardwickei, than to apply the still more recent term 

 of Spalacomys indicus. He considered that in the absence of any type, 

 there was a sufficient uncertainty as to what rat was represented by Arvico- 

 la indica to justify the disuse of the specific name. 



The speaker added that he had dug up some of the burrows of I^eso- 

 hia Jiardwickei and traced them over a large space of ground. One 

 especially in Sind he had traced for between 40 and 50 yards and finally 

 captured the inmates, an adult male and female, and two fully grown but 

 younger animals, also a pair. The burrow was sometimes close to the sur- 

 face, but in places as much as two feet beneath the ground, and contained 

 a chamber lined with fragments of grass, but no store of grain. 



5. On the Indian Species of the genus Erinaceus. — By Dr. J. Andeeson. 

 This paper will be published in the Journal, Part 11. 



6. Description of a supposed New Hedgehog from Muscat in Arabia. — By 



W. T. Blantord, F. R. S., &c. 

 (Abstract.) 



Amongst a collection of small mammals, birds and reptiles sent to the 

 writer by Col. Miles, the Political Agent at Muscat, were two specimens, 

 one preserved in spirit, the other a dried skin, of an apparently undescribed 

 Erinaceus, somewhat intermediate in characters between the Indian JE. 

 collaris and the Persian and Baluchistan E. macracanthus and JE. megalo- 

 tiSj being larger than the former and having longer spines, whilst it is 

 inferior in both respects to the two latter. The following is a brief de- 

 scription — 



ERINACErS NIGER, Sp. nOV. 



Black above ; the spines from an inch to an inch and a quarter long 

 on the hinder part of the back, black at the points for half an inch, then 

 surrounded by a narrow white ring, then dusky to near the base. All the 

 lower parts blackish brown. Ears long, rounded at the end, thinly clad out- 

 side and near the margin inside with short whitish hairs. Head sooty 

 black with a few grey hairs intermixed. Feet of moderate size, each with 

 five claws, the inner claw on each hind foot much smaller than the others. 

 Length of a female specimen in spirit (and doubtless somewhat contracted) 



