114 INSBCTIVORA 



Family ERLTSTACEID^E. 



1821. Erinaceidse Gray, London Med. Repos., xv, p. 300, April 1, 1821. 



Geographical distribution. — Tropical and temperate Africa, 

 Europe and continental Asia ; in Europe west to Ireland, north 

 to central Sweden and south-eastern Norway. 



Characters. — Skull deep and heavy, not specially tapering 

 anteriorly, most of the sutures persistent ; zygomatic arch com- 

 plete and heavy ; floor of brain-case completely ossified ; tympanic 

 bone annular, not attached to skull ; auditory process of basi- 

 sphenoid large, sometimes forming an evident half-bulla ; glenoid 

 surface directed downward (normal) ; a large external pterygoid 

 plate ; teeth anterior to molars neither well differentiated by 

 form into incisors, canines and premolars nor strictly " unicuspid," 

 the anterior upper incisor higher than the others but not specially 

 modified in form ; anterior lower incisor short, oblique : crowns 

 of upper molars rather high, sub-quadrate in outline (except the 

 reduced third), the cusps sub-equal, subterete, near margin of 

 crown, the styles and commissures reduced or absent, never 

 forming an important functional part of the tooth ; form short 

 and heavy ; eyes and ears well developed ; snout pointed, some- 

 what produced ; back normally covered with short, stiff spines. 



BemarJcs. — At present this family is usually regarded as 

 containing the single genus Erinaceus. It is very probable, 

 however, that several genera are represented among the members 

 of the group. 



Genus ERINACEUS Linnaeus. 



1758. Erinaceus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., i, 10th ed., p. 52 (E. europseus). 



1857. Erinaceus Blasius, Saugethiere Deutsehlands, p. 152. 



1868. Herinaceus Mina-Palumbo, Ann. Agrio. Sicil., 2nd ser., xii, p. 37. 



Type species. — Erinaceus europseus Linnseus. 



Geographical distribution. — Essentially coincident with that 

 of the family. 



Characters. — Skull rather short and broad, the zygomatic 

 breadth distinctly more than half greatest length ; posterior 

 palatal region conspicuously fenestrate ; auditory process of basi- 

 sphenoid well developed, concave, sometimes forming a half-bulla ; 

 external pterygoid plate rather larger than internal pterygoid 

 plate, formed about equally of ectopterygoid and a broad horizontal 

 outgrowth from palatine; dental formula: i jjr*, c^l, pm 3z3 

 m 3 1 3 = 36 ; canines not differentiated by form from the contiguous 

 teeth ; third upper molar consisting of a large protocone and 

 minute paracone, all trace of crushing surface absent ; body 

 short and heavy, the back covered with stiff, sharply pointed 

 bristles of uniform length ; tail shorter than hind foot. 



