AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS, 

 CANADA PORCUPINE. 



241 



HYSTRIX PILOSUS. 



Mystrix Pilosus Jlmericanus, Catesbt. Carol, app. p. 

 30. Richardson, Faun. Am. bor. 214. Porcupine 

 from Hudson's hay, Edwards. Cavia Hudsonius, 

 Klein, Quad. p. 51. Hystrix Hudsonius, Brisson, 

 Regn. an. p. 148. Hystrix dorsata. Lin. syst. p. 57. 

 Canada Porcupine, Forster, Phil. Tran. Ixii. p. 374. 

 Pennant, Quad. ii. p. 136. Godman, ii. 160. Bear 

 Porcupine, Harlan. 190. Porcupine of North ■Ame- 

 rica, CozzENS, Ann. Lyceum, Nat. Hist. i. 190. 

 Eretizon dorsatum, F. Cuviee, Mem. de Mus. ix. p. 

 431. — Philadelphia Museum. 



The Porcupines belong to the genus Hystrix, Lin., 

 which is characterised by having the clavicles imperfect, 

 two incisor teeth in each jaw, and four molars both above 

 and below on each side, these have flat crowns, surrounded 

 by a line of enamel, which enters into both edges, appears 

 to divide the tooth into two portions ; there are also small 

 lines of enamel radiating from the centre which are worn 

 down by attrition; the muzzle is thick and truncated; the 

 lip divided; the tongue furnished with spiny scales; the ears 

 short and round; the anterior feet have four toes, whilst the 

 posterior have five, all armed with thick nails. Cuvier, 

 however, divides this genus into Hystrix, Athetura, 

 Eretison, and Stnetheea. The sub-genus Eretison, 

 which is founded on the subject of our present sketch, is 

 distinguished by the head being flat, the muzzle short and 

 not arched, the tail of a moderate length, the spines short 

 and almost hidden in the hair. 



The common Porcupine, [H. cristata) although known 

 from the earliest ages, has given rise to numberless fables; 

 among which, that commonly received, is, that it pos- 

 sesses the power of ejecting its quills to a considerable 

 distance when irritated or pursued; but although it has not 

 this mode of defending itself, it is by no means a contempti- 

 ble antagonist, as when attacked it will throw itself with 

 great fierceness towards its opponent, and almost always 

 sideways, and as it is on the sides that the spines are strong- 

 est it often inflicts wounds by means of them; its bite is also 

 very severe, from the strength and size of its incisor teeth. 

 The use of this armature has been the subject of inquiry 

 among naturalists, and does not appear to be well under- 

 stood; the most probable idea, however, is, that, like that 

 of the Hedgehog, it is merely for defence, as, like that ani- 

 mal, it has the power of rolling itself into a ball, and thus 

 presenting a phalanx of spears on every side, that renders 

 the attacks of most animals perfectly fruitless; in fact, it has 

 3P 



few enemies to dread except that universal destroyer — man. 

 Thunberg, however, attributes a most extraordinary use to 

 these spines: he says, he was informed that the Ceylonese 

 Porcupine "has a very curious method of fetching water for 

 its young, viz: the quills in the tail are said to be hollow, 

 and to have a hole at the extremity; and that the animal can 

 bend them in such a manner, as that they can be filled with 

 water, which afterwards is discharged in the nest among the 

 young." This account, which is as erroneous as that of 

 their having the power of shooting their quills, shows how 

 apt even naturalists are to adopt the current fables of a coun- 

 try on mere hearsay, and without investigation into their 

 verity, or even probability. 



The Canada Porcupine is a very unsightly and sluggish 

 animal, and is not provided with the long quills so remark- 

 able in the last mentioned species, its armature consisting of 

 short sharp spines almost concealed by the hair with which 

 they are intermingled. Buffon terms it urson, intending, 

 as is observed by Dr. Richardson, to recall the memory of 

 Hudson, the discoverer of the country where it abounds, 

 and also to denote its spiny appearance, resembling that of 

 the Hedgehog, (herisson). As will be seen by the list of 

 synonymes, it has received a variety of appellations from 

 different naturalists, and as Catesby's name of pilosus was 

 bestowed upon it prior to that of dorsata, we have adopted 

 it, though the other is generally retained by authors. The 

 following description of it, by Dr. Richardson, is so full, , 

 that we extract it, instead of attempting to draw out another. 



'■^Form. — Body thick and clumsy, back much arched in a 

 regular curve from the nose to the buttocks, when it drops 

 more rapidly to the tail, which is very low. Legs very 

 short. Tail, short, thick, rounded at the tip, and turned a 

 little upwards. Nose flattish above, broad and abrupt. 

 There is a narrow, naked margin round the nostrils, but 

 there is no smooth dividing line on the upper lip. Eyes, 

 lateral, very small, and round. Ears situated behind and 

 above the auditory opening, covered as thickly with fur as 

 the neighouring parts, and entirely concealed by it. Inci- 

 sors nearly as strong as those of the beaver. They curve 

 forward a little so as to project beyond the nose, are convex 

 anteriorly narrower behind, and are not much compressed. 

 They have a yellow colour. The crowns of the grinders, 

 as they wear, acquire an even surface." 



li Fur. — The upper lip covered with shoi't hair of a dull 

 yellowish brown colour. The cheeks and forehead are 

 clothed with liver brown hair, moderately long, interspersed 

 with a very few black and white haiis. The hair on the 

 body, both above and below, is long, and of a dull liver- 

 brown colour, intermitted on all the upper parts, and on the 

 hips with still larger hairs, some of which are entirely black, 

 others entirely white, and a third set black at the roots and 



