MALACCA HEDGEHOG. 
551 
the appearance of a Porcupine, that nothing but 
a severe adherence to systematic arrangement 
from the teeth, could justify its being placed in 
the present genus : yet even this particular seems 
not yet distinctly known, the animal being rarely 
imported into Europe. Mr. Pennant supposes 
that Linnasus might have been induced to con- 
sider it as belonging to the present genus, on ac- 
count of the number of its toes, which are said 
to be five on the fore feet, instead of four, as in 
the Porcupine. The accurate Brisson, however, 
considered it as a species of Hedgehog, and Lin- 
njeus, in comphance with his opinion, transferred 
it from the genus Hystrix to that of Erinaceus, 
The particular size is not mentioned by Seba, but it 
appears to be a large species, since the length of 
its quills is said to be from an inch to a foot and 
half, on different parts of the animal. It is there- 
fore probably about the size of the common Por- 
cupine, and they are variegated in a similar 
manner: the ears are large and pendulous, and 
there is no crest or ruff of longer bristles than the 
rest on the back of the head, as in the common 
Porcupine. 
This is said to be the animal from which is ta- 
ken the particular Bezoar, called Pkdra del Porco, 
the Lapis Hi/stricis, Bezoar Hystricis and Lapis 
Porcinus, of the old Materia Medica, so long and 
so highly extolled on account of its supposed vir- 
tues, which were such, according to some authors, 
as to produce the most wonderful and salutary ef- 
