PORCUPINES. 



229 



The porcupine is quite common in the south of Europe. 

 Like the hedgehog, it has a natural defensive armor, 



FIG. 158 



COMMON PORCUPINE (Hystrix cristata). 



formed of sharp, stiff spines, which bristle out from the 

 body, and which may grow to a length of a foot and a 

 half. These spines 



are alternately FIG. 159. 



banded white and 

 black. Porcupines 

 are nocturnal in 

 their habits ; they 

 live in burrows and 

 hibernate in winter. 

 A species of porcu- 

 pine, the urson, is 

 found in the Nor- 

 thern United States and Canada, where it is generally 

 but erroneously called hedgehog. 



The agouti is a small South American rodent, having 

 20 



AGOUTI (Dasyprocta agouti). 



