EEINACErS MTCBOPUS. 63 



86. Erinaceus micropus. 



Blyth, J. A. S. XV. ITl.^Cat. 237. — E. nudiventns, Hoesfield. — 

 E. collaris, from Madras, apud Gray. 



The South-Indian Hedgehog. 



Descr. — Ears moderately large ; form somewhat elongated ; tail very 

 sliort, concealed ; muzzle rather sharp ; feet and limbs very small ; head 

 and ears nude, sooty color ; belly very thinly clad with yellowish hairs ; 

 spines ringed dark-brown and whitish, or whitish with a broad brown sub- 

 terminal ring, tipped white. 



Length of one, about 6 inches. 



Wagner describes (Schreber, Suppl. II. 22) E. alhiventris, probably from 

 India : " abdomen and sides clad with white setoe ; spines ringed white and 

 yellowish-brown ; feet slender." This is perhaps the same as our species. 



This hedgehog is stated to be found at Madras, and on the Neelgherries. 

 Many years ago I procured one alive at Trichinopoly, which I gave to 

 Mr. Walter Elliot, and I have reason to believe that this specimen is the 

 supposed E. collaris from Madras, now in the British Museum. I never 

 got another specimen from the Camatic, yet it must be a denizen of the 

 low jungles of the extreme South of India. It has also been obtained on 

 the Neelgherries, and on the Western range of Ghats ; it is said not to be 

 rare near the Missionary Station of Cottayam, inland from Cochin, It ia 

 probably one of the two species stated to be found ia Ceylon. 



Bennett has described Erinaceus Grayi, from the Himalayas, the spines 

 yellowish-white, with a blackish ring in the upper half; ears and lower 

 jaw with white hairs ; head above brown, with some white hairs intermixed ; 

 6 inches long. The same naturalist has described E. spatangus, from the 

 Himalayas ; spines parallel to each other, white beneath, blackish above, 

 those on the sides with a small yellow ring near the point ; ears and chin 

 white ; 3| inches long. This is probably the young of the former one, and 

 perhaps both are referable to E. collaris. Gray has also E. mentalis from 

 India, the black-chinned hedgehog, not described. Besides the well-known 

 E. europwus of Europe, there are described, E. concolor, Martin, from Asia 

 Minor; E. auritus, Pallas, from Central Asia; and E. megalotis, Bljth, 

 from Afghanistan, perhaps the same as Pallas' species ; and' there are 

 several from Africa. 



The Tenrecs from Madagascar, Cenfeies, Illiger, of which there are three 



