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Summary. A comparative study is made of external features of the skull in the recent genera of Erinaceidae. An account of the dentition and occlusal relations is also given, including some characteristic features of the root-pattern, hitherto undescribed. A description is given of the Oligoccne and Miocene Erinaceid material in the British Museum (Natural History). This includes a well-preserved cranium of Neurogymnurus cayluxi which shows the structure of the tympanic cavity, the orbitotemporal region and the ethmoturbinals. Neurogymnurus minor Lydekker is transferred to the genus Galerix. A new genus (Mioechinus) is created for Erinaceus oeningensis Lydekker, and Erinaceus sansaniensis Lartet is provisionally placed in this genus. The name Amphechinus Aymard is substituted for Palaeoerinaceus Filhol on grounds of priority, and certain differences between specimens from the L. Oligocene, U. Oligocene and L. Miocene are noted. The inter-relationships of the genera of Erinaceidae are discussed, and the conclusions reached differ in some respects from those of Leche (1902). Echinosorex (Gynmura) is rather closely related to Hylomys, but specialized in various characters, though showing a more primitive arrangement of the anterior teeth. Galerix, which appears to resemble Hylomys in its skull, is probably not far from the ancestry of the recent Echinosoricinae. Lanthanotherium shares with the recent Echinosoricinae a characteristic type of M3. Tupaiodon, which possesses the most primitive upper molar pattern known in the family, is probably related to Galerix. Neurogymnurus is placed in a new subfamily, Neurogymnurinae, on account of the structure of the mastoid region of the skull. The North American genera Brachyerix and Metechinus are not closely related to the Erinaceinae, but should probably be placed in the Neurogymnurinae. The recent Erinaceinae are probably derived from Amphechinus, the enlarged incisors of that genus becoming secondarily reduced. Mioechinus is in a number of respects intermediate between Amphechinus and the recent Erinaceinae. Amphechinus approaches the Echinosoricinae in many cranial characters. The following tribal names are proposed: Galericini, Echinosoricini, Neurogymnurini, Brachyericini, Protericini, Erinaceini. The hypothetical Eocene Erinaceidae probably had skulls like Hylomys, and dentitions like Galerix except that the molar pattern resembled Tupaiodon. It is most likely that they were mainly Old World in distribution. The North American genera Entomolestes, Xenacodon and Nyctitherium are considered as possible early Erinaceidae, though probably not ancestral types. A new family, Metacodontidae, is created for Metacodon, Plesiosorex and Meterix, which are of very doubtful affinities. The arrangement of turbinal bones in Neurogymnurus is very similar to that of Erinaceus. A scheme of homologies between the ethmoturbinals of Insectivores and Marsupials is put forward, and a new nomenclature suggested.

SUMMARY The dentitions of representatives of the principal families of Insectivora are described and their functions and the types of lateral jaw movement present are deduced from a study of the wear patterns on the crowns of the teeth. The Tenrecoida are compared with the Talpidae and Soricidae, and it is concluded that whereas the latter families have teeth which are capable of both cutting and grinding actions, the Tenrecoidea are specialized for a pure cutting action. The Erinaceidae and Macroscelididae are specialized for a grinding action, with some variation in the latter family, while the Tupaiidae are again generalized. Consideration is given to the differing types of horizontal jaw movement encountered.

SUMMARY The skull of the leptictid insectivore Ictops, from the White River Oligocene, is redescribed, and compared with Echinosorex and other primitive Erinaceidae. It is concluded that Ictops is much more primitive than any known erinaceid, and at the same time possesses characters which indicate that the Leptictidae and Erinaceidae have specialized in divergent directions. The characters which Ictops shares with the Erinaceidae are almost wholly primitive insectivore characters, not indicative of special relationship. The Leptictidae are therefore removed from the Erinaceoidea and placed in a separate superfamily, the Leptictoidea. A new classification of the insectivores is proposed, based on characters of the skull. The Lipotyphla are regarded as an order, with two suborders: (1)Erinaceomorpha, a primitive group consisting of the Leptictoidea and Erinaceoidea; (2)Soricomorpha, a specialized group, probably derived from an erinaceomorph ancestry, and comprizing the Tenrecoidea, Soricoidea and Chrysochloroidea. The chrysoehlorids are regarded as highly specialized derivatives of a soricomorph stock. The Macroscelididae, Tupaiidae, Lemuroidea and Dermoptera are interpreted as forming a natural group (Archonta), with an ancestry near the Erinaceomorpha. The Macroscelididae are related to the Tupaiidae, and thus to the Primates; they are in some ways more primitive than the Tupaiidae, and have developed in a divergent direction, in some respects paralleling the Erinaceidae. They are not closely related to the Lipotyphia, and are placed in a new order, Macroscelidea. The superorder Archonta thus consists of three orders: (1)Macroscelidea, (2)Dermoptera (3)Primates (including Tupaiidae).

The morphological and physiological characters of strains of Trichophyton terrestre isolated from the cutaneous appendages of hedgehogs are described. The strains grow slowly, forming granular furrowed colonies and producing a wine-coloured pigment in the medium. They appear to form a homogeneous group showing several characters which distinguish them from soil isolates. Their failure to grow in sterile soil and certain other attributes suggest that these organisms are true inhabitants of the skin of hedgehogs rather than contaminants from the soil. No pathogenic effects in guinea-pigs hedgehog or human skin could be demonstrated.

Erinaceus [gen. nov.] Dentes Primores II, paralleli, subcuneati, longiores, distantes: superiores remotiores. Laniarii II ubique, antrorsum decumbentes, parvi. Molares III s. IV acuti, lobati. Corpus spinis obtectum., Published as part of Linnaeus, Carolus, 1758, Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Stockholm :Laurentius Salvius on page 52, DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542, http://zenodo.org/record/3922206

Erinaceus europaeus [spec. nov.] Erinaceus. Fn. sv. 16. Syst. nat. 6. It. Goth. 264. Echinus s. Erinaceus terrestris. Gesn. quadr. 368. Aldr. quadr. 459. Jonst. quadr. 119. t. 68. Raj. quadr. 231. Seb. mus. 1. p. 78. t. 49. f. 1. 8. Habitat in Europa. Mitis, ambrosiacus, polyphagus, nocturnus, monogamus, hybernans, nidificans e Musco in fruticibus, metu se contrahens, naribus cristatis. Anatome E. N. C. d. 2. an. obs. 65. & an. 6. obs. 105. & cent. 10. app. 447. Barth. act. 1671. n. 90., Published as part of Linnaeus, Carolus, 1758, Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis, Stockholm :Laurentius Salvius on page 52, DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542, http://zenodo.org/record/3922206