242 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



white at tip. The white hairs are most numerous on the 

 posterior part of the body. There are also many round, 

 spindle shaped, sharp pointed spines or quills, fixed among 

 the hair which covers the upper parts. The spines com- 

 mence on the crown of the head, and are there short, thick, 

 very sharp pointed and very numerous. There are a good 

 many longer and more slender ones on the shoulders and 

 fore part of the back. There are also many on the sides 

 and middle of the back, but these are still more slender and 

 flexible, as well as less conspicuous. The buttocks and 

 thighs are thickly set with long, very strong, and sharp 

 spines. Some of these are entirely white, others brown at 

 tip. The throat and hdly are covered with brown hair, 

 not so long as that on the back, lying more smoothly, and 

 unmixed with either white hairs or spines. The tail is 

 covered with brown hair above and below, and soiled white 

 hair on its margin and tip. There are many small spines 

 among the hair on its upper surface. 



"The legs are covered with brown hairs, mixed on their 

 exterior surfaces with some white ones. The palms are 

 nearly oval or rather egg shaped, being semi-circular before, 

 and narrower behind. There are four very short toes on 

 the fore feet, which are armed with long, compressed, 

 curved, blackish claws, grooved underneath their whole 

 length. Their points are not acute. The middle or second 

 fore toe is rather the longest, the one on each side of it is 

 scarcely inferior in length, and the outer one is a little 

 smaller and somewhat further back. The hind soles are 

 oval, approaching to circular, larger than tlie palms, desti- 

 tute of hair and covered with a rouarh skin like shag-reen. 

 There are five toes on the hind foot, which do not differ 

 much from each other in length, but their roots, and con- 

 sequently their extremities, are arranged in a curved line, 

 corresponding with that of the anterior margin of the soles. 

 The hind claws resemble the fore ones. The hair which 

 covers the upper surface of the feet, curved down by the 

 sides of the soles, and being worn even, as if clipped off, it 

 forms a thick marginal brush which considerably increases 

 the diameter of the soles, and fits them for walking on the 

 snow." 



The Canada Porcupine, however, varies much in colour; 

 though the above is the most common, sometimes they have 

 been found quite white, and at others of an almost universal 

 dark brown. The spines or quills are attached but slightly to 

 the skin, and from being barbed at tip with numerous small 

 reversed points or prickles, they penetrate by degrees very 

 deep into the flesh after having been once lodged. On the 

 animal's being irritated, he has the power of directing their 

 points in every direction, and small and insignificant as 

 these weapons may appear, they are capable of causing the 

 death of dogs, wolves, or indeed of any animal that incau- 



tiously attempts to seize the Porcupine. These quills arc 

 in great request among the aborigines, who use them in 

 great quantities in the manufacture of a number of orna- 

 ments, previously dying them, in a very permanent manner, 

 of variety of colours. As the quills are but from two to 

 three inches in length, it requires no slight degree of inge- 

 nuity and skill to form the large surfaces of embroidery with 

 them, so common on Indian belts and other articles of dress. 

 This work is performed in several ways; by passing a deli- 

 cate fibre of sinew through a hole previously made with an 

 awl, and at every stitch wrapping it with one or more turns 

 of the quill; when this is wound near to its end, the extrem- 

 ity is turned into the skin, or is concealed by the next strip, 

 so that the whole work appears as if formed of a continuous 

 piece; in other cases the quills are used without the aid of 

 the sinew, being merely passed through the awl holes. 

 Examples of these, and in fact, of every mode in which they 

 are employed by our native Indians, may be seen in the 

 unrivallpfl cnllection of aboriginal dresses belonging to the 

 Philadelphia Museum. 



The Canada Porcupine is principally found in the northern 

 parts of the United States and Canada as high as 67°; it also 

 occurs in some parts of Pennsylvania, but is very rare 

 further south. Mr. Cozzens states, that of late years they 

 have multiplied greatly, and are become numerous near 

 Oneida Lake, and in the north western part of the State of 

 New York. In the fur countries, they are most numerous 

 in sandy districts covered with the Pintts Banksiana of the 

 bark of which they are very fond.* They also eat the bark 

 of the larch and spruce fir, and the buds of various species 

 of willow. Further south, their food is principally composed 

 of the bark and leaves of the hemlock and basswood, though 

 they are also fond of sweet apples, Indian corn, &c., which 

 they eat in a sitting posture, using their fore paws like the 

 squirrels. 



They are very slow in their movements, and remain in 

 the same spot for a long time. Hearne says, "that the In- 

 dians, going with packets from fort to fort, often see them 

 in the trees, but not having occasion for them at that time, 

 leave them till they return; and should their absence be for 

 a week or ten days, they are sure to find them within a mile 

 of the place where they had seen them before." When 

 moving, the tail hangs down very low, and in the winter 

 makes a deep furrow or track in the snow which cannot be 

 mistaken for that of any other animal. They are generally 

 discovered, however, by the devastation they commit on 

 the trees, which, if done in the winter, is a sure sign that 

 the animal is near. They will, in most cases, be found on 

 the branches, and when approached, utter a weak cry like 



• Richardson, Faun. am. bor. 



