i040 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI. 



What had happened was this — the Porcvipine had suddenly launched 

 itself backwards with incredible speed and hurled its hindquarters against 

 my legs, and as the beast, when dead, weighed over 25 lbs,, the resultant 

 shock was no joke. 



Now just above the tail extremity the Porcupine has a small compact 

 bunch of stout white quills a few inches only in length aud it was with 

 these, backed up by the speed and weight of its body, that it had given me 

 such a terrific blow. 



These little quills looking almost like a bunch of toothpicks, though 

 they are of course extremely solid and strong, appear to me to be the real 

 ofl'ensive and defensive weapons of the Porcupine. 



They do not come out easily, but make a powerful impression on the 

 mark they strike — while if the object aimed at is a large one, many of the 

 longer quills also take effect and these, not being so firmly fixed into the 

 creature's skin come out and remain embedded in the victim, which pro- 

 bably gives rise to the stories that the Porcupine uses its long quills mainly 

 for use on its enemies and also that it can throw its quills several feet. 



The creature's movements on such occasions are so swift that probably 

 it is hardly noticed that it has closed with its enemy and then resumed its 

 original position. 



As far as I can remember, this bunch of small quills is situated just above 

 the rattles of the tail. 



I wonder if any of your readers have had a similar experience, or have 

 ever heard of such a case. 



Keepers in Zoological Gardens would probably know quite a lot about 

 the ways and niethods of oflence and defence adopted by these animals. 



C. R. S. PITMAN. 

 C/o Grindlay and Co., 

 August 1919, 



No. ill.— PORCUPINE'S METHOD OF ATTACK. 



Lt.-Col. R. T;ight's Note on Porcupines on page 666 of Vol. XXVI, 

 No. 2, of the Journal afforded very interesting reading ; and also causes 

 me considerable surprise. I have several times seen porcupines attacking 

 dogs ; and 1 have also seen a tame porcupine playfully attacking its owner 

 — much to the owner's discomfiHire • In either case the porcupine's 

 method of attack was to turn completely round, and run backwards at the 

 object of its attack. In the case ot the dogs, the porcupines ran back- 

 wards at them (when at close quarters), left a few quills in them ; and 

 then advanced forward a few paces and waited for the dogs to advance, 

 which, needless to say, they did not do. 



In one case a porcupine was being chased by one of my dogs and sud- 

 denly stopped, with all its quills elevated, and to my horror I saw the dog 

 leap right on top of the porcupine ! The porcupine then went on its way, 

 leaving the dog riddled with quills. 



I have never seen or heard of a porcupine being able to turn its quills 

 forward over its head and in fact I have frequently raised the quills of 

 porcupines I have shot and have not been able to turn theiV' beyond a 

 vertical position. 



Lt.-Col. Light's note causes me to surmise that the porcupines up North 

 are of a different species — as they seem to be possessed with larger powers 

 of raising their quills and in their mode of attack. 



RANDOLPH C. MORRIS. 



HoNfNAMOTTI, AXTIKAN, P. O., 



Mysore, SOth July 1919. 



