THE TANREC. 
359 
over each eye ; the tail is blackish at the base, whitish at the tii>. The length of the Bulan is about 
twenty-six inches, of which the tail occupies twelve. Besides Sumatra, this curious animal, which may 
be regarded as a connecting link between the Hedgehogs and the Shrews, has been met with in the 
peninsula of Malacca, and in Borneo, and the neighbouring island of Sarawak. The specimens from 
Sarawak and the mainland of Borneo opposite Labuan are said by Dr. Gunther to be all white, with 
only a portion of the longest and strongest hairs on the body black. Of the habits of the Bulau 
nothing appears to be recorded. 
Professor Gill is inclined to place that almost equally curious animal, Hylomys suillus (see p. 350), 
in juxtaposition with the Bulau. 
FAMILY V. — CENTETID2E, OK TANRECS. 
The animals of this family usually have the back more or less armed with fine spines or bristles 
among the softer hair, the legs short, the feet five-toed, plantigrade, and the tail very short or altogether 
wanting, except in one anomalous genus. They are all furnished with external ears. The skull is 
rather elongated, approximately cylindrical, and has no zygomatic arches. The tympanic bone does 
not form a bubble-like protuberance ; and the molar teeth are narrow, and form more or less regular 
triangular prisms. The number of teeth is variable. The clavicles (collar-bones) are well developed ; 
the two bones of the shank (tibia and fibula) are separate; and the intestine has no c tecum. 
With the single exception of the curious genus Sole addon , the position of which was long regarded 
as very doubtful, but which is now placed in this family, the Centetidie are confined to the Madagascar 
region, which bears so many other peculiar types of animals. Their food appears to consist chiefly of 
worms and insects, but doubtless, like their relations the Hedgehogs, they will seize upon any small 
animal that comes in their way. The species are not numerous. 
THE TANKED* 
The Tanrec, or Tangue, which is the best-known species of the family, is entirely destitute of 
tail. It has a long, pointed muzzle, small ears, and short legs ; the five-toed feet are armed with strong 
claws, and the body is not capable cf being contracted 
into a ball ; the angle of the lower jaw is slightly bent 
inwards * and the teeth are forty in number, there 
being on each side, in each jaw, three incisors, one 
canine, three premolars, and three true molars. The 
canines, both above and below, are of exceedingly large 
size : those of the lower jaw are received into deep pits 
in the sides of the intermaxillary bone ; while those of 
the upper jaw project downwards on each side of the 
lower jaw, These are the characters of the genus 
Centetes, 
The Tanrec (its figure will be seen in Plate 11) 
measures about fifteen or sixteen inches in length, of 
which nearly one-third is made up by the elongated head. Its body is covered with a mixture of bristles, 
hairs, and more or less flexible spines, the latter being especially strong about the nape and sides of the 
neck, where they measure about one-fiftli of an inch in length, and form a sort of crest or collar. The 
spines are longer and more flexible on the body, where they are mixed with bristles, which prevail espe- 
cially on the back, and these measure sometimes as much as two inches long. The belly and limbs are 
clothed with short hair. All these dermal appendages are yellowish, with the middle brown, giving 
the animal a general tawny colour, which is paler or yellowish on the limbs. The face is brownish, and 
the long whiskers which spring from each side of the muzzle are of a dark brown colour. This is the 
general coloration of the species, which, however, varies occasionally. The young are said to be brown 
with yellow longitudinal streaks, which disappear with age. 
DEXTITTON OF TANIlEC. (Tidce Natural Size. 
* Centetes ecaudatus. 
