ANIMALS. Oc».J 



eiit colours, being white and bliick alternately, from one end to 

 the other. The biggest are often found fifteen iirches long, and 

 a quarter of an inch in diameter ; extremely sharp, and capable 

 of inflicting a mortal wound. They seem hiirder than common 

 quills, being difficult to be cut, and solid at the end which is not 

 fixed in the skin. If we examine them in common, as they 

 grnw upon the animal, they appear of two kinds, the one such 

 as I have already described ; the other, long, flexible, and slen- 

 der, growing here and there among the former. There is still 

 another sort of quills, that grow near the tail, white and trans- 

 parent, like writing quills, and that seem to be cut short at the 

 end. All these quills, of whatever kind, incline backwards, like 

 the bristles of a hog ; but when the animal is irritated, they rise, 

 and stand upright, as bristles are seen to do.' 



Such is the formation of this quadruped, in those parts in which 

 it differs from most others : as to the rest of its figure, the muz- 

 zle bears some resemblance to that of a hare, but black ; the legs 

 are very short, and the feet have five toes, both before and be- 

 hind ; and these, as well as the belly, the head, and all other 

 parts of the body, are covered with a sort of short hair, like 

 prickles, there being no part, except the ears and the sole of the 

 foot, that is free from them ; the ears are thiidy covered with 

 very fine hair; and are in shape like those of mankind : the eyes 

 are small like those of a hog, being only one-third of an inch 

 from one corner to the other. After the skin is taken off, there 

 appear a kind of paps on those parts of the body from whence 

 the large quills proceed ; these are about the size of a small pea, 

 each answering to as many holes which appear on the outward 

 surface of the skin, and which are about half an inch deep, like 

 as many hollow pipes, wherein the quills are fixed, as in so 

 many sheaths. 



This animal seems to paitake veiy much of the nature of the 

 hedgehog ; having this formidable apparatus of arms rather 

 to defend itself, than annoy the enemy. There have been, in- 

 deed, many naturalists who supposed that it was capable of dis- 



1 Professor Thunberg, in hi3 serond journey to the island Mature in the 

 Imlian ocean, informs us, that the poroupine lias a very curious method of 

 fi'tchiiig- water for its youuff. The quills in the tail are said to bo hollo iv, 

 nnd 111 have a hole at the extremity : these the animal can bend in such a 

 manner, as that they can be filled with v.ater, which is after« ;irds diacluirg. 

 ed in the nest among its youn^. 



