214. ANIMALS OF THE 



hurtful to gardens, and where it enters does in- 

 credible damage. 



The Americans, who hunt this animal, assure 

 us that the porcupine lives from twelve to fifteen 

 years. During the time of coupling, which is in 

 the month of September, the males become very 

 fierce and dangerous, and often are seen to des- 

 troy each other with their teeth. The female 

 goes with young seven months, and brings forth 

 but one at a time ; this she suckles but about 

 a month, and accustoms it betimes to live, like 

 herself, upon vegetables and the bark of trees : 

 she is 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 ad- 

 versary : the wolf know r s by experience how fruit- 

 less it would be to wait ; he therefore leaves the 

 porcupine above, and seeks out for a new adven- 

 ture. 



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 pro- 

 visions when the savages are to be our caterers, 

 for they eat every thing that has life. But they 

 are very ingenious with regard to their embroid- 

 ery : if I understand the accounts rightly, they 

 dye the quills of various colours, and then split- 

 ting them into slips, as we see in the making of a 



