'284 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Inoffensive manners. 



damage to the gardens. But as they always enter 

 by one aperture so long as it continues open; 

 the inhabitants have often an opportunity of 

 destroying them. When a breach is discovered, 

 they place a loaded gun in such a manner that 

 the muzzle will be near the animal's breast when 

 he is devouring a carrot or turnip, that is con- 

 nected by a string with the trigger. 



In its manners, the porcupine is perfectly 

 harmless and inoffensive, never itself becoming 

 the aggressor; and, when pursued, it climbs the 

 fiist tree it can reach, where it remains till the 

 patience of its adversary is exhausted. In a 

 state of confinement, it will eat bread or roots 

 out of the keeper's hand, and suffer him to lead 

 it about by a string. One that was in the 

 royal menagerie of the Tower, would even allow 

 its keeper to take it up under his arm; but in 

 order to do this safely, it was necessary to close 

 the quills to the animal's body, by the man 

 sweeping his arm along the direction in which 

 they grew. This quadruped died in 1802; but 

 is now stuffed, and in the possession of the 

 keeper. 



The late Sir Ashton Lever had one of these 

 animals which he frequently turned out on the 

 grass behind his house, to play with a tame 

 hunting leopard, and a large Newfoundland dog. 

 As soon as they were let loose, the leopard and 

 dog began to pursue the porcupine, who always 

 at first endeavoured to escape by flight : but, on 



3 



