1 85 1 .] species of Birds inhabiting Ceylon. 1 7 1 



quills are white, with a narrow black band about the centre. Tail as 

 in the two crestless species, with similar pedunculated quills. 



The Cinghalese Porcupine sent by Mr. Layard, though young, we 

 do not hesitate to name as another distinct species — H. zeylonensis, 

 nobis. Fortunately, we have a stuffed Bengal Porcupine of about the 

 same size and apparent age to compare with it. It is nearly affined 

 to H. bengalensis, with a similar but more developed crest of long 

 bristles ; these are of the same brown colour as the body spines, and 

 have each one obscure pale annulation and beyond it a white annu- 

 lation at less than two-thirds of its length : the quills are slenderer 

 than in the Porcupine of Bengal, and are black, with white extreme 

 base ; mingled with others longer and more slender, which are chiefly 

 very pure white, often with dark base. Spines much flattened and 

 grooved, and very much coarser over the limbs than in H. bengalen- 

 sis ; the anterior terminating in very slight flexible setae, becoming 

 gradually obsolete towards the quills. Upon the hind-limbs especially, 

 the spines are quite as coarse as on the sides of the body ; whereas in 

 the Bengal Porcupine they are there much finer and more bristle-like. 

 White demi-collar barely indicated. The general colour is much as 

 in the others, but a little more rufescent, and the spines are even more 

 shining than usual ; the white of the quills being also much purer 

 than in either of its congeners. The body-colour pales remarkably on 

 the hind-limbs. The ear-conch is formed most as in H. hirsutiros- 

 tris, being somewhat squared above, with strongly marked posterior 

 angle ; and (in the specimen at least) they are much more scantily 

 clad with hair than in H. bengalensis and H. Hodgsonii. Lastly, 

 the pedunculated quills of the tail are considerably more elongated 

 than in either of the other species. In the small well mounted speci- 

 men described, standing 5^ in. high at the shoulder, some of the bristles 

 forming the crest are 6 in. long: in a Bengal Porcupine of the same 

 size, they are not 3^ in. ; but still appear conspicuously in the latter, 

 from being all broadly and evenly tipped with white. It is not 

 improbable that the large H. hirsutirostris may likewise prove to 

 inhabit the same island ; and likely enough there is a second and small 

 species, perhaps H. zeylonensis, in S. India. The latter is described 

 by Mr. Layard to be common in the Chilaw and Jaffna districts, doing 

 great damage to the cocoa-nut trees when young and tender. The 

 natives term them Oat Oara ('thorn pig'). 



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