576 “HE AGOUTI. 
covered with long, coarse, blackish-brown hair, among which the short pointed quills are 
so deeply set, that, except in the head, tail, and hinder quarters, they are scarcely 
perceptible. These spines are largely used by the American Indians in the decoration of 
their hunting-pouches, mocassins, and other articles, and after the quills are extracted, the 
remainder of the fur is sufficiently soft to be used for clothing. The flesh of the Urson 
is considered eatable, and is said to bear some resemblance to flabby pork. 
The length of the Urson is not quite four feet, the head and body measuring rather 
more than three feet, and the tail about nine inches. The teeth are of a bright orange. 
In Southern America, the Porcupines find a representative in the CoENDOO, an animal 
which is not only remarkable for its array of quills, but also for the prehensile power of 
its long tail. 
As might be presumed, from the prehensile tail and the peculiarly armed claws, the 
Coendoo is of arboreal habits, finding its food among the lofty branches of trees. On the 
level ground it is slow and awkward, but among the more congenial boughs it climbs with 
great ease, drawing itself from branch to branch by means of its hooked claws; but 
seldom using its tail, except as an aid in descent. The food of this animal consists of 
leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, and the soft woody substance of young and tender branches, 
which it slices easily with its chisel-edged incisor teeth. During the summer months 
the Coendoo becomes extremely fat, and its flesh is then in great request, being both 
delicate in flavour and tender in character. The young of this animal are born in the 
month of September or October, and are very few in number. 
The total length of the Coendoo is about three feet six inches, of which the tail occupies 
one foot six inches. Its nose is thick and blunt, like that of the common Porcupine, 
and the face is furnished with very long whisker-hairs of a deep black. The numerous 
spines which cover the body are parti-coloured, being black in the centre and white at 
each extremity. Theirlength is rather more than two inches on the back, an inch and a 
half on the fore-legs, and not quite an inch on the hinder limbs. A number of short quills 
are also set upon the basal half of the tail, the remainder of that organ being furnished 
with scales, and tapering to its extremity. The colour of the scales is black. The 
entire under surface of the tail is covered with similar scales, among which are inter- 
spersed a number of bright chestnut hairs. The abdomen, breast, and inner face of the 
limbs are clothed with dense, brown, coarse hairs. 
It is a nocturnal animal; sleeping by day, and feeding by night. 
THE two succeeding animals bear some resemblance to each other, but may he 
distinguished by the different shape of the head, and the structure of the feet and toes. 
These technical distinctions may be found in the list of generic differences which closes 
the first volume of this work. There are several species of Agoutis, the Common AcouTtI 
being considered as the type of the genus, and their habits being very similar. 
The Agouti is a native of Brazil, Paraguay, Guiana, and other neighbouring countries, 
but its numbers have been considerably thinned in many spots where cultivation has 
been industriously carried on. In some of the Antilles, where it formerly swarmed, it is 
now nearly extirpated, and in St. Domingo is but rarely seen. It is a voracious animal, 
eating almost every kind of vegetable food, having, however, an unfortunate preference for 
those plants which have been reared under human superintendence. It is especially fond of 
roots, such as potatoes and yams, and is so destructive among sugar-canes that the 
planters are forced to wage a war of extermination against the Agouti before they can 
hope for a good crop. Very few of these animals are to be found in any spot where the 
sugar-cane has been cultivated to any extent. Besides plants and nuts, the Agouti eats 
various fruits, displaying a strong predilection for nuts. Like many of the rodent 
animals, itis capable of varying its diet with animal substances, and will seldom refuse a 
piece of meat if offered. 
It is a tolerably swift animal, as might be supposed from the great comparative length 
of its hinder limbs, but does not appear to be capable of sustaining a long chase. Open 
country is on that account rather distasteful to the Agouti, who prefers wooded districts, 
