THE PORCUPINE. 269 



very fierce in its defence ; but, at other seasons, she is fearful, 

 timid, and harmless. The Porcupine never attempts to bite, 

 nor any way to injure its pursuers ; if hunted by a dog or a 

 wolf, it instantly climbs up a tree, and continues there until 

 it has wearied out the patience of its adversary ; the wolf 

 knows by experience, how fruitless it would be to wait : he 

 therefore leaves the Porcupine above, and seeks out for a new 

 adventure. 



The Porcupine does not escape so well from the Indian 

 hunter, who eagerly pursues it, in order to make embroidery 

 of its quills, and to eat its flesh. This, as we are commonly 

 told, is very tolerable eating : however, we may expect 

 wretched provisions when the savages are to be our caterers, 

 for they eat every thing that has life. But they are very in- 

 genious with regard to their embroidery : they die the quills 

 of various colors, and then splitting them into slips, as we see 

 in the making of a cane-chair, they embroider with these their 

 belts, baskets, and several other necessary pieces of furniture. 



As to the rest, there are many things related concerning 

 this animal that are fabulous ; but there are still many cir- 

 cumstances more, that yet remain to be known. It were 

 curious to inquire whether this animal moults its quills when 

 wild, for it is never seen to shed them in a domestic state ; 

 whether it sleeps all the winter, as we are told by some na- 

 turalists, which we are sure it does not when brought into 

 our country ; and, lastly, whether its quills can be sent off 

 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 

 h'ving, 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 situa- 

 tion, they appear to very little advantage ; they are extremely 



