CANADA PORCUPINE. 281 



sweet-potatoe or an apple, it would turn its head slowly toward us, and 

 give us a mild and wistful look, and then wth stately steps advance 

 and take the fruit from our hand. It then assumed an upright posi- 

 tion, and conveyed the potatoe or apple to its mouth with its paws. 

 If it found the door of our study open it would march in, and gently 

 approach us, rubbing its sides against our legs, and looking up at us 

 as if supplicating for additional delicacies. We frequently plagued 

 it in order to try its temper, but it never evinced any spirit of re- 

 sentment by raising its bristles at us ; but no sooner did a dog make 

 his appearance than in a moment it was armed at aD points in defence. 

 It would bend its nose downward, erect its bristles, and by a threatening 

 sideway movement of the tail, give evidence that it was ready for the 

 attack. 



A large, ferocious, and exceedingly troublesome mastiff, belonging to 

 the neighbourhood, had been in the habit of digging a hole under the 

 fence, and entering our garden. Early one morning we saw him making 

 a dash at some object in the corner of the fence, which proved to be our 

 Porcupine, which had during the night made its escape from the cage. 

 The dog seemed regardless of all its threats, and probably supposing it 

 to be an animal not more formidable than a cat, sprang upon it with 

 open mouth. The Porcupine seemed to swell up in an instant to nearly 

 double its size, and as the dog pounced upon it, it dealt him such a side- 

 wise lateral blow with its tail, as caused the mastiff to relinquish his hold 

 instantly, and set up a loud howl in an agony of pain. His mouth, tongue, 

 and nose, were full of porcupine quills. He could not close his jaws, but 

 hurried open-mouthed out of the premises. It proved to him a lesson for 

 life, as nothing could ever afterwards Induce him to revisit a place 

 where he had met with such an unneighbourly reception. Although the 

 servants immediately extracted the spines from the mouth of the dog, 

 we observed that his head was terribly swelled for several weeks af- 

 terwards, and it was two months before he finally recovered. 



Cartwright, (Journal, vol. ii., p. 59,) gives a description of the destruc- 

 tive habits of the Porcupine, which in many particiilars is so much in 

 accordance with our own observations, that we will present it to our 

 readers. 



" The Porcupine readily climbs trees ; for which purpose he is furnish- 

 ed with very long claws ; and in the winter, when he moimts into a tree, 

 I believe he does not come down until he has eaten the bark from the 

 top to the bottom. He generally makes his course through the wood in 

 a straight direction, seldom missing a tree, unless such as are old. He 

 loves young ones best, and devours so much, (only eating the inner part 



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