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It resembles E. niger, in having a bare mesial area on the vertex, but is distinguished from that form by its smaller fore feet and smaller ear, and by its cranial characters as well.

There can be little doubt, however, but that E. macracanthus, and E. jerdoni, are very closely allied forms, but I believe that the characters I have indicated will be found persistent and reliable guides to enable them to be distinguished the one from the other.

This species occurs at Karachi, from whence I have received it from Mr. J. A. Murray, the Curator of the Karachi Museum, and from Rájanpur from Dr. E. Sanders. Mr. Blanford has also obtained it at Rohri, in Sind.

DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.

α.

Plate III. Details of structure of Erinaceus pictus, Stoliczka. upper view of skull: b. side view of skull: c. skull seen from below: d. side view of head: e. upper and under aspects of hind foot: f. fore foot seen from above and from below: g. side view of ear: h. side view of tail. All drawn natural size.

Plate IV. Details of structure of Erinaceus grayi, Bennett. a. upper view of skull: b. side view of skull: c. skull seen from below: d. side view of head: e. upper and under aspects of hind foot: f. fore foot seen from above and from below: g. side view of ear: h. side view of tail. All drawn natural size.

a. upper

Plate V. Details of structure of Erinaceus blanfordi, n.s. view of skull: b. side view of skull: c. skull seen from below: d. side view of head: e. upper and under aspects of hind foot: f. fore foot seen from above and from below: g. side view of ear: h. side view of tail. All drawn natural size.

Plate V4. Skull of Erinaceus micropus, Blyth. a. upper view: b. side view: c. skull seen from below: Natural size. d. teeth of upper and lower jaws enlarged 2 diameters.

Skull of Erinaceus jerdoni, n.s. e. upper view of skull: f. side view: g. skull seen from below: Natural size. h. teeth of upper and lower jaws enlarged 2 diameters.

XIX.-Description of a supposed new Hedgehog from Muscat in Arabia.By W. T. BLANFORD, F. R. S., &c.

(Received and read Dec. 4th 1878.)

(With Plate IX.)

Amongst a collection of small mammals, birds and reptiles, sent to me some time since by Colonel Miles, the Political Agent at Muscat, are two specimens, one preserved in spirit, the other a skin, of a species of hedgehog which appears to me undescribed. It is somewhat intermediate in characters between the Indian E. collaris, and the Persian and Baluchistan E. macracanthus, and E. megalotis, being larger than the former and having longer spines, whilst it is inferior in both respects to the two latter. The following is a description of the new form.

ERINACEUS NIGER, sp. nov.

E. supra niger, subtus nigrescenti-fuscus, auriculis longiusculis, pilis sparsis griseis indutis, aculeis longiusculis, apices versus nigris, in medio albis, ad basin fuscis. Long. tota 6-7, auriculi 1·6, plantæ 1.25 poll. angl. HAB. Juxta Muscat in Arabia.

The description is chiefly taken from the specimen in spirit, a female. The size is moderate, exceeding that of E. collaris, but apparently inferior to E. europaus. The colour is black above, the white ring on the spines being very inconspicuous, the interspersed, the ears are grey. are sooty or blackish brown.

face is sooty black with a few gray hairs On the lower parts and limbs all the hairs

The feet are of moderate size, not so broad as in E. grayi, nor short as in E. micropus, but resembling those of E. collaris in form, and thinly clad with hair above. Five claws on all feet, the inner claw on the hind feet much smaller than the others.

The ears are long, not very broad, rounded at the end, thinly clad outside and near the margin inside with short whitish hairs: there are longer white hairs at the base of the anterior inner margin, and longer blackish hair near the base in front and behind.

Spines long, one inch to one and a quarter in length on the hinder part of the back. In the spirit specimen, a female, none exceed 1.1 inches; in the dried skin some are nearly 14 inches long. The spines commence on the forehead inside of each ear, leaving a space free from spines in the middle, running back for about an inch. All are black at the points for half an inch, then white for about inch, then dusky to near the base where they are

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