HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 483 



THE PORCUPINE. 



(Histrix Cristata, Linn. Le Pore-epic, Buff.) 



THIS animal, so formidable in its appearance, 

 would be much more truly so, if it possessed the 

 power, erroneously ascribed to it, of darting its 

 quills at its enemies, and wounding them at a 

 distance. 



Though denied the privilege of making offensive 

 war, it is sufficiently armed to resist the attacks of 

 animals much more powerful than itself. Upon the 

 smallest irritation, it raises its quills, and shakes 

 them with great violence, directing them to that 

 quarter whence it is in danger of being attacked, 

 and striking at the object of its resentment with its 

 quills at the same time. We have observed on an 

 occasion of this sort, at a time when the animal was 

 moulting or casting 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 may have given rise to 



