CHINCHILLIDA 487 
dams of tanks, and in old mud walls, etc. In some parts of 
the country they are very destructive to various crops, potatoes, 
carrots, and other vegetables. They never issue forth till after 
dark, but now and then one will be found returning to his lair in 
daylight. Dogs take up the scent of the Porcupine very keenly, 
and on the Nilghiris I have killed many by the aid of dogs, tracking 
them to their dens. They charge backwards at their foes, erecting 
their spines at the same time, and dogs generally get seriously in- 
jured by their strong spines, which are sometimes driven deeply 
into the assailant. The Porcupine is not bad eating,—the meat, 
which is white, tasting something between pork and veal.” 
Besides these three large crested species of Hystriz, there are 
four or five smaller species without nuchal crests occurring in 
North-East India and in the Malay region, from Nipal to Borneo. 
Fossil species of Hystriz occur in the Pleistocene and Pliocene 
of India, and in Europe from the Upper Pliocene to the Middle 
Miocene, being perhaps also represented in the French Phosphorites. 
Remains from the Pliocene and Miocene of the United States have 
been referred to this genus, and if rightly determined are of especial 
interest from a distributional point of view. 
Atherura.1—The Brush-tailed Poreupines are much smaller 
animals than the last, characterised by their long tails tipped with 
bundles of peculiar flattened spines. Of the three species two are 
found in the Malay region and one in West Africa. A fossil 
species occurs in the cavern-deposits of Madras. 
Trichys.2— This genus contains but one Bornean species (7. 
guenthert), externally very like an Atherura, but differmg from the 
members of that genus in many important cranial characters. 
Family CHINCHILLIDA. 
Terrestrial forms, with elongated hind limbs, bushy tails, very 
soft fur, and complete clavicles. Jugal without an inferior angle, 
and extending forwards to the lachrymal ; palate contracted in front 
and deeply emarginate behind; incisors short, and the molars — 
divided by continuous enamel-folds into transverse lamine. Neo- 
tropical region. This family includes only three existing species, 
divided into as many genera. 
Chinchilla.2—In this genus the fore feet have five and the hind 
four digits, the tail is long and bushy, and the auditory bull are 
enormous, appearing on the top of the skull. The one species 
(C. lanigera) is restricted to the alpine zones of the Andes from the 
north of Peru to the south of Chili. It is a Squirrel-like Rodent, 
1 Cuvier, Regne-Animal, 2d ed. vol. i. p. 215 (1829). ‘* Atherure.” 
2 Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1876, p. 739. 
3 Bennett, Gardens, etc. Zool. Soc. pt. i. p. i. (1829). 
