104 THE PEN-TAIL. 
head and body is not quite four inches in measurement, and the tail is about 
three inches and a quarter. 
THE extraordinary animal which has been recently brought before the 
notice of zoologists, under the characteristic name of PEN-TAIL, is a native of 
Borneo, from which country it was brought by Mr. Hugh Low. 
PEN-TAIL.—(Péilocercus Lowit.) 
a 
It is about the size of a small rat, 
but appears to be of greater dimen- 
sions on account of its extremely 
long tail with the remarkable ap- 
pendage at its extremity. As may 
be seen from the engraving, the tail 
is of extraordinary length when 
compared with the size of the body, 
and is devoid of hair except at its 
extremity, where it is furnished with 
a double row of stiff hairs on each 
side, which stand boldly out like the 
barbs of a quill-pen or the feathers 
of an arrow. The remainder of the 
tail is covered with scales, which 
are square in their form, like those 
of the long-tailed rats, and of con- 
siderable size. The colour of the 
tail is black, and the bristly barbs 
are white, so that this member pre- 
sents a peculiarly quaint aspect. 
The fur-which covers the body of 
the Pen-tail is extremely soft in tex- 
ture, and is of a blackish brown 
tint above, fading into a yellowish 
grey beneath. As the tips of the 
hairs are tinged with a yellow hue, 
the precise tint of the fur is rather 
indeterminate, and is changeable, 
according to the position of the 
hairs which are exposed to view. 
The specimen which is preserved in 
the British Museum was captured by 
Mr. Low in the house of Sir James 
Brook, the first Rajah of Sarawak. 
THE common HEDGEHOG, HEDGE 
PIG, or URCHIN, is one of the most 
familiar of our indigenous mam- 
malia, being found in every part of 
Great Britain which is capable of 
affording food and shelter. 
The hard round spines which 
cover the upper part of its body are 
about an inch in length, and of a 
rather peculiar shape, which is well 
represented in the accompanying 
sketch. This form is wonderfully adapted to meet the peculiar objects which 
the spine is intended to fulfil, as will be seen in the following account. 
The spine, which is here given, is supposed to be lying nearly horizontally 
voon the back of the animal, a position which it asswmcs whenever the 
