358 HISTORY OF 



All that we can learn of an animal exposed as a show, or even 

 by its dissection, is but merely its conformation ; and that 

 makes one of the least interesting parts of its history. We are 

 naturally led, when presented with an extraordinary creature, to 

 expect something extraordinary in its way of living, something 

 uncommon, and corresponding with its figure ; but of this animal 

 we know little with any precision, except what it offers in a state 

 of captivity. In such a situation, that which I saw appeared to 

 very little advantage : it was extremely dull and torpid, though 

 very wakeful and extremely voracious, though very capable of 

 sustaining hunger; as averse to any attachment, as to being 

 tamed : it was kept in an iron cage, and the touching one of the 

 bars was sufficient to excite its resentment, for its quills were in- 

 stantly erected, and the poet was right in his epithet oi fretful; 

 for it appeared to me the most irascible creature upon eaith. 



The porcupines of America differ very much from that of the 

 ancient continent, which we have been describing ; and, strictly 

 speaking, may be considered as animals of a different species : 

 however, from their being covered with quills, we will only add 

 them as varieties of the former, since we know very little con- 

 cerning them, except their difference of figure. They are of 

 two kinds; the one called the couando; and the other, first 

 named by Mr Buffon, the urson ; the one a native of the north- 

 ern parts of Ameiica ; the other of the south ; and both differ- 

 ing from the former, in having long tails, whereas that has a very 

 short one. 



The COUANDO is much less than the porcupine ; its quills are 

 four times shorter, its snout more unlike that of a hare ; its tail 

 is long enough to catch by the branches of trees, and hold by 

 them. It may be easily tamed, and it is to be found chiefly in 

 the southern parts of America ; yet is not wanting also in the 

 northern. 



The UKSON, which Mr Buffon calls after our countryman 



directing them to that quarter from whence it is in danger of being attack- 

 ed, and striking at the object of its resentment at tlie same time. " We have 

 observed, on an occasion of this sort, at a time when the animal was moult- 

 .ng or easting its quills, that they would fly out to the distance of a few 

 yards with such force as to bend the points of them against the board where 

 they struck ; and it is not improbable that a circumstance of this kind ma) 

 have given rise to an opinion of its poiver to use them in a more eflcctua 

 manner." 



