30 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



a small out-building called the " porcupine house " in which to store 

 the numerous frozen carcasses brought in by toboggan from time to time 

 at the conclusion of the hunts during the winter. 



The body of an adult Canada porcupine averages about 20 inches 

 in length exclusive of the tail which measures 10 to 13 inches. The 

 males and females are of about equal size. The weight is from 20 to 30 

 pounds. The bark of the white spruce being constantly available for 

 food, the animal is always in good condition. He eats the bark of only 

 the upper half of the tree, including that of all its branches. He selects 

 a bunch of rather young or half-grown trees, usually four to six in 

 number, standing together, the bark of all of which he judges will suit 

 his taste. After completely stripping the bark off the upper part of the 

 first tree he attacks, he proceeds with the next and so on till he has 

 finished all in the group. 



He appears to be as active by night as by day and probably descends 

 to rest and sleep whenever he feels so disposed at any time during the 

 twenty-four hours. He seems to sleep a good deal, retiring for the 

 purpose into a hollow log or a sheltered place among fallen rocks or 

 tree trunks. In climbing up or coming down a tree, he does so quite 

 leisurely but apparently without any apprehension of losing his hold, 

 notwithstanding his clumsy build and his short legs, for the latter are 

 very strong and his claws are long and sharp. After he has eaten all 

 he considers fit for porcupine food in the bunch of spruces which he had 

 selected, he ambles leisurely away to a considerable distance. 



While moving about, always slowly, his broad squat body, short 

 legs and straight tail give him much of the appearance of a large tortoise. 

 The leaves of the spruces which he has killed turn light red and the 

 small group of trees thus forms a conspicuous spot, its colour contrasting 

 with the dark green of the forest around, and it is easily recognized by 

 the voyageur as the work of " kag," the jib we name for the porcupine. 



It may require several weeks to eat the bark off one of these bunches 

 of spruces, as the first two or three attacked have reddened considerably 

 before the porcupine has finished his work on the remaining trees. If 

 a voyageur, not in need of meat, should discover a porcupine only partly 

 through with his selected bunch of spruces, he may leave him undisturb- 

 ed in the expectation of enjoying his flesh on his return journey or 

 later on. ,' i 'i i 



The porcupine lives in dry, wooded, hilly, rocky or sandy regions 

 where white spruce abounds and he is absent, as far as we know, from the 

 prairies and swampy lands. In addition to the more tender spruce bark, it 

 has been stated by writers that he eats the leaves of some low herbaeeous 

 plants in summer, and Sir John Richardson says he also eats the buds 



