QUADRUPEDS COVERED WITH SCALES OR SHELLS. 



377 



we arc sure it does not when brought into our 

 country ; and, lastly, whether its quills can he 

 sent oif with a shake ; for no less a naturalist 

 than Reaumur was of that opinion. 



All that we can learn of an animal exposed 

 as a show, or even by its dissection, is but 

 merely its conformation ; and that makes one 

 of the least interesting parts of its history. 

 We are naturally led, when presented with an 

 extraordinary creature, to expect something 

 extraordinary in its way of living, something 

 uncommon, and corresponding with its figure; 

 but of this animal we know little with any 

 precision, except what it offers in a state of 

 captivity. In such a situation, that which I 

 saw appeared to very little advantage : it was 

 extremely dull and torpid, though very wake- 

 ful ; and extremely voracious, though very 

 capable of sustaining hunger ; as averse to any 

 attachment, as to being tamed : it was kept in 

 an iron cage, and the touching one of the bars 

 was sufficient to excite its resentment, for its 

 quills were instantly erected; and the poet was 

 right in his epithet of fretful; for it appeared 

 to me the most irascible creature upon earth. 



The porcupines of America differ very much 

 from that of the ancient continent, which we 

 have been describing ; and strictly speaking, 

 may be considered as animals of a different 

 species : however, from their being covered 

 with quills, we will only add them as varieties 

 of the former, since we know very little con- 

 cerning them, except their difference of figure. 

 They are of two kinds ; the one called the 

 couando; and the other, first named by Mr. 



Buffon, the urson: the one a native of the 

 northern parts of America, the other of the 

 south ; and both differing from the former, in 

 having long tails, whereas that has a very short 

 one. 



The COUANDO is much less than the porcu- 

 pine ; its quills are four times shorter, its snout 

 more unlike that of a hare ; its tail is long 

 enough to catch by the branches of trees, and 

 hold by them. It may be easily tamed, and 

 it is to be found chiefly in the southern parts 

 of America ; yet is not wanting also in the 

 northern. 



The URSON, which Mr. Buffon calls after 

 our countryman Hudson, is a native of Hud- 

 son's Bay. The make of the body of this ani- 

 mal is not so round as that of the two former, 

 but somewhat resembling the shape of a pig. 

 It is covered with long bristly hair, with a 

 shorter hair underneath; and under this the 

 quills lie concealed very thick ; they are white, 

 with a brown point, and bearded, and the long- 

 est do not exceed four inches ; they stick to 

 the hand when the animal is stroked on the 

 back ; and likewise, when the hand is taken 

 away, they stick so fast as to follow it. They 

 make their nest under the roots of great trees, 

 sleep very much, and chiefly feed upon the 

 bark of the juniper. In winter the snow 

 serves them for drink ; and in summer they 

 lap water, like a dog. They are very common 

 in the country lying to the east of Hudson's 

 Bay ; and several of the trading Americans 

 depend on them for food, at some seasons of 

 the year. 



CHAPTER LV. 



OF QUADRUPEDS COVERED WITH SCALES OR SHELLS INSTEAD OF HAIR.' 



WHEN we talk of a quadruped, the name 

 seems to imply an animal covered with hair; 

 when we mention a bird, it is natural to con- 

 ceive a creature covered with feathers; when 

 we hear of a fish, its scales are generally the 



This chapter is chiefly extracted from Mr. Buffon, 

 which 1 mention at once, to save the trouble of repeated 

 quotation. 



first part that strikes our imagination. Nature, 

 however, owns none of our distinctions; 

 various in all her operations, she mixes her 

 plans, groups her pictures, and excites our 

 wonder, as well by her general laws as by 

 her deviations. Quadrupeds, which we have 

 considered as making the first general class 

 in Animated Nature, and next to man the 

 most dignified tenants of the earth, are yet, 



