13 



CANADA PORCUPINE. 



Hystrix Dorsata. H. palmis tetradactylis, plant is pentadactylis, 

 dvrso prcrcipue spinoso, cauda subabbreriata. 



Short-spined Porcupine, with very long fur, tetradactylous fore- 

 feet, pentadactylous hind- feet, spiny back, and shortish tail. 



Hystrix Hudsonis. H. aculeis sub pilis occidtis, cauda brevi <t 

 crtssa. Briss. Quadr. 128. 



Hystrix dorsata. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 76. 



L'Urson. Buff. 12. p. 426. pi. 55 



Canada Porcupine. Pennant Quadr. 2. p. 126, 



THIS species is a native of the northern parts of 

 America, and is not uncommon in Canada. It 

 is a short thick-bodied animal, approaching some- 

 what to the form of a Beaver, and is remarkable 

 for the length and fulness of its fur, which is soft, 

 of a dusky brown colour, and intermixed with 

 longer and coarser hairs with whitish tips: the 

 head is short ; the nose blunt, the ears small and 

 rounded, the teeth very strong, the limbs short, the 

 feet armed with strong, crooked, sharp-pointed 

 claws, hollowed or channelled beneath : on the fore 

 feet are four toes, and on the hind five : the gene- 

 ral length, from nose to tail, is about a foot and 

 half: of the tail six inches. Edwards compares the 

 size to that of a fox, though the shape is widely 

 different. The spines are nearly hid in the fur, 

 and are only visible on a close inspection : they are 

 situated on the head and upper parts, as well as 

 on the tail : the longest are those on the back, 

 which measure about three inches, while those 

 on the other parts are proportionally shorter : 



