ANIMALS. 'S39 



Hudson, is a native of Iludsoir.s Bay. Tlie make of the body 

 of this animal is not so round as that of the two former, but 

 somewhat resembling the shape of a pig. It is covered with 

 long bristly hair, with a shorter hair underneath ; and under this 

 the quills lie concealed very thick ; they are white, with a brown 

 point, and bearded, and the longest do not exceed four inches ; 

 they stick to the hand when the animal is stroked on the back ; 

 and likewise, when the band is taken away, they stick so fast as 

 to follow it. They make their nest under the roots of great 

 trees, sleep very much, and chiefly feed upon the bark of the 

 juniper. In winter the snow serves them for drink; and in 

 summer they lap water like a dog. They are very common in the 

 country lying to the east of Hudson's Bay; and several of the 

 trading Americans depend on them for food, at some seasons of 

 the year. 



CHAP. III. 



OF QUADRUPEDS COVERED WITH SCALES OR SHELLS INSTEAD 0¥ 



HAIR, 



When we talk of a quadruped, the name seems to imply an 

 animal covered with hair ; when we mention a bird, it is natural 

 to conceive a creature covered with feathers ; when we hear of 

 a fish, its scales are generally the first part that strikes our ima- 

 gination. Nature, however, owns none of our distinctions ; 

 various in all her operations, she mixes her plans, groups her 

 pictures, and excites our wonder, as well by her general laws as 

 by her deviations. Quadrupeds, which we have considered as 

 making the first general class in animated nature, and, next to 

 man, the most dignified tenants of the earth, are yet, in many 

 respects, related to the classes beneath them, and do not in every 

 respect, preserve their usual distinctions. Their first charactei. 

 which consists in having foui feet, is common to the hzard kind 

 as well as to them. The second prerogative, which is that of 

 bringing forth living young, is found in the cetaceous tribe of 



1 This chapter is diiefly extracted from Mr Bnffon, wlui;]i I mention at 

 once, to save the trouble of repeated iiuotation. 



