THE CRESTED PORCUPINE. 



there are four toes on the fore feet, and five on thofe behind. The head is 

 about five inches long, the muzzle bears fome refemblance to that of a Rabbit, 

 except that it is always black ; the upper lip is divided ; the eyes are fmall ; 

 the ears refemble thofe of a Monkey, and are covered with very fine hair ; the 

 mouth is furnifhed with whifkers of a conflderable length : the tongue is 

 covered at its extremity with feveral little bony bodies, like teeth. The 

 largeft are a line in breadth ; their extremities are fharp and divided by three 

 notches, making as it were four fmall teeth of each (a). The back part of 

 the head is adorned with a long creft. compofed of ftifF briftles, which recline 

 backwards; the body is covered with quills from ten to fourteen inches long; 

 they are thicken: in the middle and fharp at the points ; thefe quills are 

 inferted in the animal's fkin in the fame manner as the feathers of birds, the 

 quills of which they much refemble in their conflrudlion ; their colour is 

 black and white alternately, which gives the animal a very beautiful 

 appearance ; the tail is covered with fhort, white quills, which are 

 tranfparent, and appear as if they were cut off at the ends. All the quills 

 naturally incline backwards, and the creature can erecl: them at pleafure, 

 which he never fails to do when irritated ; the opinion which once prevailed, 

 that the Porcupine can dart his quills at his enemy, is now known to be 

 entirely unfounded; the lides, belly, and legs are covered with lirong 

 briflles, and a few hairs are thinly fcattered all over the fkin. 



When the Porcupine is hunted, or purfued by any other animal, it never 

 attempts to bite or defend itfelf, but climbs up the firft tree it can reach, 

 where it remains till the patience of its adverfary is exhaufted ; if it cannot 

 reach a tree, and is hard prelTed, it lies down on one lide, and prefents its 

 quills to its enemy, in which fituation it finds perfect fecurity. 



The late Sir Afhton Lever ufed to keep a live Porcupine, which he 

 frequently turned out on the grafs behind the houfe, to play with a tame 

 Hunting Leopard and a large Newfoundland Dog. As foon as they were let 

 loofe, the Leopard and Dog began to purfue the Porcupine, who at firft 

 endeavoured to efcape by flight ; but finding that ineffectual, he thruft his 



(a) Memoir, de l'Acad. de Scien. p. 149. 



