96 LECTURE III. 



spectator to belong to the same genus; the fur, 

 i 



which is extremely full, and of a dusky brown 

 colour, being much longer than the quills, which 

 are only to be observed on a close inspection : 

 these quills have their points barbed with many 

 minute reversed spines, and are very apt to wound 

 and adhere strongly to the skin of any animal 

 that happens to make a close approach; and so 

 conscious does this Porcupine appear of their 

 power, that he is observed, when attacked, pur- 

 posely to brush against the aggressor, leaving 

 numbers of his spines infixed on his skin. 



It will naturally occur to every one, that we 

 have not yet particularly noticed an animal greatly 

 ' allied in its general appearance to the Porcupine 

 tribe: viz. the Hedgehog. But the Hedgehog, 

 which, on a general view, might be associated 

 with the Porcupines, is, in fact, widely removed 

 from them in the structure of its teeth, which are 

 perfectly those of the Order Ferai. 



Perhaps the most extraordinary genus among 

 the Glires is that of Castor or Beaver; it is cha- 

 racterized by the very strong pair of cutting teeth 

 in each jaw, and, more strikingly, by the very 

 singular structure of the tail, which is large, of a 



