Il6 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



Sullivan Co. I have seen them numerous around Eaglesmere. Rhoads. 

 Common at Eaglesmere. Bennett, 1900. Becoming scarce. Rothrock, 

 1900. " In all timbered tracts, living chiefly on hemlock brush ; knew one 

 to stay in one tree two months without descending. Becoming scarcer." 

 Behr, 1900. 



Tioga Co. "In hemlock forests and rocky ledges, still plentiful." Cleve- 

 land, 1900. Plenty. Babcock, 1900. 



Union Co. " Probably extinct in this Co. The last one known to me was 

 killed [or seen?] in 1879." Chambers. 



Venango Co. Not common in Venango Co. One was killed near Oil City, 

 Oct. 7, 1899. Dorworth. 



Warren Co. Plenty; disturbing oil derricks where saturated with salt 

 from the wells. Dorworth, 1900. 



Washington Co. Two were said to have been found near the borough of 

 Washington in 1897. Nease. 



Wayne Co. Decreasing. Goodnough, 1900. None found in the vicinity 

 of Maplewood. Stevens, 1 900. " Still found in Wayne Co. Two killed 

 near Dyberry this year [1900]." Day. Scarce, some left where there is 

 timber. Teeple, 1900. Frequently seen but decreasing. Kellew, 1900. 



Wyoming Co. Plentiful. On the increase. Robinson, 1900. 



Records in N.J. Warren Co. I have understood from Mr. Strickland, 

 of Blairstown, that the porcupine was formerly found in the higher mountains 

 of this county near the Delaware. As it is a fearless swimmer it may cross 

 the river from Pike County occasionally. Rhoads, 1902. 



Habits, etc. As the habits of this clumsiest, most stupid, ungainly and un- 

 touchable of rodents are known to so few people, I will outline them briefly. 

 They are nowhere "in their element." In water they can just manage to 

 paddle and scull along, being too fat to sink. On land they crawl like a huge 

 tortoise both in pace and gait. When pursued on land they seek preferably 

 the nearest hole that will at least cover the head, wedging themselves tightly 

 therein, leaving the huge bristling back and the ponderous tail for the enemy 

 to fool with. Sometimes they take to a tree, ascending to the summit, but 

 they are slow climbers. The tail is used as a flail to parry attack. The 

 quills are not detached except by contact, anchoring themselves by the finely 

 barbed points, and thus become detached from their loose hold on the por- 

 cupine's skin. They work their way into skin and muscles quickly and auto- 

 matically, and are found in all parts of the anatomy of wild animals which 

 sometimes eat porcupines when driven by hunger. Porcupines are said to be 

 arboreal. They do ascend and descend trees to get bark and twigs for food. 

 In doing so they again display their innate awkwardness, the huge tail lurch- 

 ing from side to side as they shin slowly up, threatening at every step to throw 

 the animal to the ground, but their strength is enormous, and sheer might of 



