CANADA PORCUPINE. 229 



accompanying that sign of recognition by a grunt, in 

 way of welcome, at the same time winking and point- 

 ing with his knife to some pounds of flesh which 

 lay close by. 



Noway wishing to interfere in the cooking arrange- 

 ments, I eyed the scene with complacency, and inhaled 

 the odours streaming forth to leeward with greater 

 satisfaction than those small boys who muster round 

 a cook-shop, for I knew I was about to become inti- 

 mate with the fragrant viands, whereas they, poor 

 fellows ! rarely, if ever, get on such intimate terms 

 with the steaming joints on which their hungry 

 eyes are so eagerly fixed. At length the moment 

 for assault arrived, and for minutes nothing was 

 heard but the smacking of the cook's lips and the 

 satisfactory grunts that issued from his mouth as he 

 partook of the rich feast which he had provided. 

 And what does the reader suppose we were discussing 

 with so much gusto? a large portion of a well-fed 

 porcupine which had been so unfortunate as to fall 

 into our hands. 



Although assured by a celebrated naturalist that 

 the porcupine of the Atlantic sea-board states is not 

 found in the Far West, my experience has led me to 

 form a different opinion, as this specimen and numer- 

 ous others I had seen in this part of the world 

 exactly corresponded in appearance with the animal 

 I had known so well in New England. 



The Canada porcupine (Eretliizon dorsatus) is 

 harmless to everything but trees. Although more 



