38 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



Mus neglcctus, a form of the widely distributed Mm 

 rattus. 



Mus sabanus is a large rufous Rat with white belly ; it 

 is generally found in caves, especially such as are formed 

 in limestone cliffs and are frequented by the Swift, 

 Collocalia, which constructs the edible nests so beloved 

 by the Chinese. 



The common Porcupine of the country is Hystrix 

 crassispinis. It does considerable damage in pine-apple 

 plantations, and specimens which have fed on this 

 luscious fruit are remarkably good to eat. The Porcu- 

 pine is easily tamed and thrives in captivity. A pet 

 specimen of mine escaped from its cage one brilliant 

 moonlight night, and strolled in a leisurely manner 

 across the lawn in front of my house ; my two dogs, 

 on catching sight of the animal, hastened out with the 

 intention of worrying it, but the Porcupine proved to 

 be quite capable of taking care of itself, and the sub- 

 sequent proceedings were amusing to watch. The 

 Porcupine would run full tilt for several yards with the 

 dogs in hot pursuit, then it would halt suddenly and 

 run backwards, elevating all its quills and producing a 

 loud rattling noise with its tail. Sundry yelps from the 

 dogs showed that they found the Porcupine a very 

 awkward customer to tackle ; they could not seize it 

 by the throat, for it was always too quick for them, 

 either turning the hind part of the body towards its 

 assailants or else dashing away at full speed. Eventually 

 I drove the dogs off and rescued the Porcupine from 

 the encounter, which, however, it seemed to enjoy as 

 much as the dogs. 



The rattling noise which the Porcupine makes is 

 produced by means of a very simple mechanism. 



