528 
Jhe Hifiory of ANIMALS. 
H Y S T R I X. 
T H E fore-teeth of the Hydrix are obliquely truncated; there are no canine 
teeth : the ears are of a figure approaching to round 5 the body is covered with 
prickles or fpines. J 
Hyftrix manibus tetrada&ylis , plantis pentada&ylis, 
capite criftato . SCfjt 
^The crefted Hyftrix , with four toes on the fore-feet , 
and five on the hmder . 
This is a confiderably large animal, but, with the lingular covering of it's fpecies, it 
appears much more fo than it truly is; it fomewhat refembles the badger in fhape: 
it s length from the nofe to the tail, is about two feet, and the whole body is covered 
wnh a kind of bridles: thefe on the fhoulders, legs, Tides, and belly are of a deep and 
gblly black; on the middle of the back, the hips and the loins, and on the tail where 
the fpecies have their origin, they are variegated with black and white: thefe in figure 
and confidence perfectly refemble the bridles of a hog, and are quite diflindt from 
the fpines or quills. 
The neck of the creature is fhort; the head is thick and obtufe; the noftrils are 
very large ; they are not, however, open and patulous, as in fome animals, but formed 
of a tranfverfe dit: the upper lip is fplit in the middle, in the manner of that of a 
hare, and the front of the head is ornamented, in the manner of that of the cat, with 
long whifkers; thefe are black, and have their origin about the nodrils: the opening 
of the mouth is not very large ; the fore-teeth are two in each jaw; they are large, 
drong, bent inwards, and obliquely truncated : the grinders are eight in each jaw 5 
the eyes are very fmall, and their iris is blue. 
The ears are very like that of the human fpecies; about thefe there is a quantity of 
foft hair, wholly unlike that of the red of the body, and under the lower jaw there is 
alfo a quantity of foft and dne down. 
The top of the head is decorated with a very lingular cred, formed of bridles of a 
great length, not lefs than eight inches ; thefe dand eredf, and the cred is continued 
along the neck to the fhoulders: thefe bridles are fome of them black, fome white, 
and fome variegated, in a very beautiful manner, with both thofe colours. 
The legs are fhort, the feet large, and the claws not very fharp j there are five 
toes on each of the hinder feet, and only four on each of the others, and, of thefe, one 
which is the exterior is larger than the red, and refembles a thumb: the bridles which 
cover the whole body are thick, and compreffed at the bafe; they dand each on a 
diort and flender pedicle, and terminate in a fine point: the form of thefe is lingular, 
but that of the fpecies is much more fo. 
This fpines or quills, as they are commonly called, are of two kinds; fome are 
fhorter, thicker, dronger, and more fharply pointed, having a kind of double edge, 
like the fhoemaker’s awl; the others are longer, weaker, and more flexible; thefe are 
a foot long, and are compreffed at the point: the fpines of the fird kind are white at 
the bafe, and of a dufky chefnut colour on the upper part; the others are white at each 
extremity, and are variegated with black and white in the middle. 
The tail is about four inches long; it is armed with numerous fpines, difpofed in 
feveral annular feries, and at the extremity of it, indead of thefe fpines, there are ten 
or twelve tubular bodies of the fame thicknefs with them, but only of about half 
their length; thefe dand on flender pedicles, and are open at the end, and all the way 
tranfparent. ; 
The 
