270 THE COUANDO, OR BRAZILIAN PORCUPINE. 



dull and torpid, though very wakeful ; and extremely vora- 

 cious, though very capable of sustaining hunger ; as averse 

 to any attachment, as to being tamed : they are kept in iron 

 cages, and the touching one of the bars is sufficient to excite 

 their resentment, for their quills are instantly erected ; and 

 the poet was right in his epithet of fretful, for they appear 

 the most irascible creatures upon earth. 



THE COUANDO, OR BRAZILIAN PORCUPINE. 



The Porcupine, as has been observed, is a native of the hot 

 countries of the Old World ; but, not having been found in 

 the New, travellers have not hesitated to give its name to 

 animals which seemed to resemble it, and particularly to that 

 of which we are about to take notice. On the other handj 

 the Couando of America has been transported to the East 

 Indies ; and Pison, who probably was not acquainted with 

 the Porcupine, has engraved in Bontius the Couando of Ame- 

 rica, under the name and description of the true Porcupine. 

 The Couando, however, is not a Porcupine, it being much 

 less ; its head and muzzle is shorter ; it has no tuft on its 

 head, nor slit in the upper lip ; its quills are somewhat shorter, 

 and much finer ; its tail is long, and that of the Porcupine is 

 very short ; it is carnivorous, rather than frugivorous, and 

 endeavors to surprise birds, small animals, and poultry, while 

 the Porcupine only feeds upon herbs, greens, fruits, &c. It 

 sleeps all the day, like the Hedgehog, and only stirs out in 

 the night ; it climbs up trees, and hangs in the branches by 

 its tail, which the Porcupine cannot do. All travellers agree 

 that its flesh is very good eating. It is easily tamed, and 

 commonly lives in high places. These animals are found 

 over all America, from Brazil and Guiana to Louisiana and 

 the southern parts of Canada : while the Porcupine is only to 

 be found in the hottest parts of the Old Continent. 



In transferring the name of the Porcupine to the Couando, 

 they have supposed and transmitted to him the same facul- 

 ties, especially that of lancing his quills. Ray is the only 



