PORCUPINE. 91 



greater part of the day in sleep ; and forages for worms, 

 insects, and other petty prey, principally in the night. 

 It prefers small thickets, hedges, or bushy ditches, for 

 its retreat ; where it makes a hole about six or eight 

 inches deep ; which it lines with moss, grass, or leaves. 

 It sleeps during winter ; and, at all seasons, is satisfied 

 with a small quantity of food. The flesh is by some 

 esteemed very delicate eating ; but epicures only of a 

 peculiar taste make the experiment. 



In order to justify the ill-usage which this creature ge- 

 nerally receives, it has been accused of sucking the teats 

 of cows and mares, and injuring their udders, as they lie 

 at rest. From this charge it cannot be wholly exculpated. 

 The author of this work has seen the effects produced by 

 it on a mare, which, however, did not give milk but its 

 mouth is not large enough to admit the dug of a cow ; 

 and therefore it may be doubted whether it is milk that 

 tempts it to invade this part of animals. 



The common species is widely diffused over Europe ; 

 and other varieties of the same animal are found in every 

 quarter of the globe. 



ORDER IV. GLIRES. 



THE characteristics of this order (which include the 

 porcupine, the hare, the squirrel, the beaver, the mouse, 

 and the rat,) are, two fore-teeth in each jaw, no canine 

 teeth, three toes on each foot, and an adaptation of form 

 to the action of leaping. 



THE PORCUPINE. 



The common porcupine is about two feet long, and 

 fifteen inches broad. It has a long crest on the back of 

 its head, composed of stiff bristles reclining backwards. 

 The body is covered with quills from ten to fourteen 



