146 THE PORCUPINE THE HEDGEHOG. 



storms. It abounds chiefly on the shores of Hudson's Bay, 

 Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Nova Zernbla. 



We shall now proceed to give a concise description of some 

 of the most remarkable animals of the scaly and prickly kind : 



THE PORCUPINE, 



Formidable in appearance, is, in disposition, perfectly inoffen- 

 sive ; it lives on fruits, roots, and different kinds of vegetables: 

 sleeps in the day, and feeds in the night. 



Some naturalists have asserted, that the porcupine discharges 

 its quills against its assailants ; but this opinion is now univer- 

 sally known to be erroneous. Although this animal does not pos- 

 sess, in regard to offensive war, the extraordinary advantages 

 which error has supposed, it is sufficiently armed to resist the 

 attacks of animals much stronger than itself. When irritated or 

 alarmed, it raises its quills, which form an effectual safeguard to 

 its body, so that few animals are capable of injuring it. The 

 largest of its quills are from ten to fifteen inches in length, thick- 

 ish in the middle, and extremely sharp at the point. Between 

 the quills there grows a kind of thin, black, and bristly hair. 

 The tail is covered with short quills, white and transparent. 



The porcupine is not a native of Europe, although found in 

 a wild state in Spain and Italy. It is common in all parts of 

 Africa, as well as in India, Persia, and Palestine. The flesh of 

 this animal is sometimes exposed in the markets at Rome. The 

 Indians also very commonly eat it ; but they hunt it chiefly for 

 its quills, with which they make a curious kind of embroidery. 



A porcupine was for some time kept by the late Sir Ashton 

 Lever, which he frequently turned out on the grass behind his 

 house, to play with a tame hunting leopard and a Newfoundland 

 dog. These animals always began to pursue the porcupine, as 

 soon as they were set at liberty ; but when the object of their 

 pursuit found it impossible to escape by flight, he cunningly 

 thrust his head into some corner, and erected his quills, with 

 which his enemies pricked their noses, till at length they quar- 

 relled between themselves, and thus afforded him an opportunity 

 of escaping. 



THE HEDGEHOG 



Appears to be the porcupine in miniature. It is so generally 

 known, that we need not describe it. We shall only remark, 

 that it is one of the most inoffensive animals ; and that although 

 Nature has provided it with a spinous armour, sufficient to nro- 

 tect it from the attacks of the weasel, the foumart, and other 

 beasts of prey of the smaller kind, it cannot secure it from the 



