THE PREHENSILE PORCUPINE. 163 



distinguished by a weak light, is round : it is closed altogether 

 in full daylight. The nostrils open by two simple circular 

 apertures, which are situated close together on a broad flat- 

 tened surface, covered with a smooth but not glandular inte- 

 gument. It is by the sense of smell chiefly that this animal 

 takes cognizance of external objects. The ear is of an ex- 

 tremely simple structure, being composed merely of a circular 

 ridge crossed transversely by two slight elevations. The mouth 

 is of a remarkably diminutive size, scarcely opening sufficiently 

 to allow a passage for the incisors, or permitting any great de- 

 gree of separation of the jaws. The tongue is smooth : there 

 are no cheek pouches. 



The exterior coat consists almost entirely of spines, adhering 

 to the skin by a narrow pedicle, and consequently detaching 

 themselves readily from it. Hairs are found only on the under 

 parts of the body and upon a portion of the tail. Strong whis- 

 kers project from the sides of the muzzle. The organs of mo- 

 tion have a special structure, from which results the natural 

 destination of the Coendou to be an animal of the woods, to 

 live on trees, to dwell on their summits, to derive from them 

 its nourishment, and there to propagate and rear its family. 

 Its fore-feet are strong, with four distinct and regular digits, 

 armed with long and strong, but thin and pointed, claws. 

 The thumb is indicated merely by a large moveable tubercle, 

 covered with a very papillose skin, and capable of being op- 

 posed to a certain degree to the other digits. The hind-feet 

 have also four toes ; the sole is similarly papillose, and the 

 thumb seems still more developed in them than in the fore- 

 feet ; so that the animal can truly grasp objects between this 

 thumb and the other digits, which gives it the faculty of 

 perching, almost like birds, on the smallest branches. 



To feet formed in this favourable manner is added, as we 

 have before observed, a prehensile tail ; but it presents the 

 peculiarity, and is the only example hitherto known, of having 

 the prehensile surface above, and consequently curving in a 

 direction contrary to that of other tails which are organized 

 for twisting round and clinging to branches, &c. 



The spines are mostly of a yellowish white colour at the 

 root, black in the middle, and white at their extremity. The 

 thickest are on the anterior parts of the body, and the longest 

 on the back, where they measure about three inches in length. 

 On the extremities, the sides of the head, and along the first 

 half of the tail, they are thinner and shorter ; and on the re- 

 mainder of the tail, and on the under parts of the body, they 

 are gradually reduced to the dimensions of simple hairs. The 

 muzzle and soles of the feet are naked, and are of a reddish 

 brown colour. 



M 2 



