ACCOUNT OP ANIMALS. 



427 



The porcupine, in shape, and size, differs 

 but little from the skunk. Its tail is much short- 

 er, and has little hair on it. The body is cover- 

 ed with hair of a dark brown colour, about four 

 inches in length. This hair is interspersed with 

 quills, about the size of a straw, that are white, 

 with black ends, sharply pointed : and for about 

 half an inch from the end, they are covered with 

 a kind of beard, which renders it very difficult 

 to extract them from any soft substance which 

 they have entered. These quills are merely de- 

 fensive weapons : for it is not true, though it has 

 by some been asserted, that they can, at pleas- 

 ure, eject them from their bodies. They are an 

 inoffensive animal, move but slowly ; and when 

 overtaken by man or beast, they place their 

 head and their legs under their bodies, and place 

 all their reliance on their quills, for protection. 

 The Indian women highly value these quills, 

 which they die of different colours, and use for 

 garnishing their shoes, leggins, &c. They also 

 hold their flesh in high estimation, as an arti- 

 cle of food. 



There is a small animal, found only on the 

 Rocky Mountain, denominated, by the Natives, 

 Quis-qui-su, or whistlers, from the noise which 

 they frequently make, and always when surpris- 

 ed, strongly resembling the noise made by a per- 



