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every creature, unless when provoked. As its legs 

 are very short, and made somewhat like those of a 

 bear, it is often seen sitting up, and even walking 

 on its hind legs. Like all the hare kind, it runs much 

 swifter up hill than down ; it climbs trees with great 

 t i ase, and runs up the clefts of rocks, or the con- 

 tiguous walls of houses with great facility. 



Those arms which the Hedge-hog possess in minia- 

 ture, the Porcupine has in an enlarged degree. 



In the one, the spines are but an inch long ; in 

 the other, a foot. The Porcupine is about two feet 

 long, and fifteen inches high. It is covered with 

 quills from ten to fourteen inches long, resembling 

 the barrel of a goosequill in thickness ; but tapering 

 and sharp at both ends. Each quill is thickest in 

 the middle : and inserted into the animal's skin, in 

 the same manner as feathers in birds. The biggest 

 are often fifteen inches long, and a quarter of an inch 

 in diameter, extremely sharp, and capable of inflicting 

 a mortal wound. They are harder than common 

 quills, and solid at the end which is not fixed in the 

 skin. All these quills incline backwards, like the 

 bristles of a hog ; but when the animal is irritated, 

 rise and stand upright. 



Such is the formation of this quadruped, in those 

 parts in which it differs from most others. As to the 

 rest of its figure, the muzzle bears some resemblance 

 to that of a hare, but black ; the legs are very short 

 tirid the feet have five toes, both before and behind, 

 and these, as well as the belly, the head, and all 

 other parts of the body, are covered with a sort of 

 short air, like prickles ; there being no part, except 

 the ears and the sole of the foot that is free from 

 them : the ears are thinly covered with very fine 

 hair, and are in shape like those of mankind : the 

 eyes are small like those of a hog, being only one 

 third of an inch from one corner to the other. After 

 the skin is taken off there appears a kind of paps 

 oa those farts of the body trom whence the large 



