THE PORCUPINE IN HERALDRY 



a protective armature, and it will be noticed at the Zoo 

 that, if a porcupine is alarmed or threatened, it instinc- 

 tively bristles out its spines and turns its back upon the 

 quarter whence threatens the supposed aggression. 

 Yet it is clear that these fixed bayonets are not inex- 

 pugnable. For we are told that the tiger will make a 

 meal of a porcupine. As to legend, there is of course 

 the story that the porcupine shoots its quills. This 

 legend is utilised in the coat of arms of the French king, 

 Louis XII., who bore armorially a porcupine with the 

 motto " Comminus et eminus," i.e. prepared for enemies 

 close at hand and at a distance. There is a pig-like 

 suggestion too in the legend that the porcupine is especi- 

 ally infuriated by, and will savagely attack, venomous 

 serpents ; for it is well known that a pig will encounter, 

 trample to death, and munch up the fierce Fer de Lance 

 of the West Indies. The porcupine is alleged to roll 

 upon the snake and transfix it with its spines, just as the 

 purely insect- eating hedgehog of this country is alleged 

 to roll over fallen apples in the orchard and bear them 

 off to its lair. If the common porcupine of Asia, Africa, 

 and even of certain parts of Southern Europe, be watched, 

 the origin of the legend concerning the shooting off of its 

 spines will be clear to the onlooker. It has the habit 

 when annoyed of rustling its spines, and in the effort of 

 rustling some of the spines will fall to the ground, or 

 even be shaken to a little distance away. To such a 

 small cause is the archery of the porcupine reduced. It 

 is a remarkable fact that the porcupines of north and 

 South America are arboreal, and that those of South 

 America, which have a long tail, have that tail pre- 

 hensile. There is thus an exact parallel between the 

 monkey of the two hemispheres and the porcupines of 

 the Old and New Worlds. Of the Canadian Urson and 

 of the South American tree porcupines (Synetheres or 

 Coendou), at any rate, of the latter, there are often, if 



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