92 THE GNAWERS 



threw its tail and its body in the direction of the rabbit 

 so quickly that the movement was almost invisible. Sev- 

 eral quills brushed against the smaller animal and re- 

 mained sticking to it; yet those who did not observe 

 the act were positive that the quills had been thrown — 

 an act quite as impossible as it would be for a man to 

 throw his hair at some annoying enemy. 



Porcupines are found in the temperate regions of the 

 Eastern and Western Hemispheres. They live in burrows 

 very much after the fashion of rabbits, and in winter un- 

 dergo a partial hibernation, sleeping part of the winter. 

 One of the largest, and a formidable creature, is the 

 Canada porcupine, about three feet in length and much 

 lighter than the others. The European crested porcupine 

 has spines twelve inches in length, those on the tail being 

 hollow and very loosely attached. When the animal is 

 undisturbed, the long quills lie flat ; but does an enemy 

 appear they rise upward with a rustling, hissing sound, — a 

 menace in itself, — and the animal stands ** humped up " 

 with its array of spines turned in every direction. Against 

 such an array few animals have the temerity to advance. 

 In South America the porcupines are tree lovers, and 

 have more or less prehensile tails by which they cling to 

 branches after the fashion of the opossum. 



Allied to them are the chinchillas, found in the Andes 

 at an altitude of twelve thousand feet, and the curious 

 viscacha, common on the lofty plateaus of South America. 

 These little animals have a peculiar habit, calling to mind 

 that of the bower birds, of collecting about their burrows 

 curious objects, as stones, colored shells, flowers, or any 

 articles of a bright or unusual nature. So well estabHshed 



