IS 



CANADA PORCUPINE. 



Hystrix Dorsata. H. polmis ietradactylis, plantis pentadactylis, 

 dorso pmcipue spinosoj cauda subabbreviafa, 



Short-spined Porcupine, with very long fur, tetradactylous fore- 

 feet, pentadactylous hind-feet, spiny back, and shortish tail, 



Hystrix Hudsonis. H, aculeis sub pilis occulHs, cauda brevi et 

 crassa. Briss. Quadr. 128. 



Hystrix dorsata. Lin. Syst. Nat, p. 76. 



L'Urson. Buf. 12. p. 426. pi. 55 



Canada Porcupine, Pennant Quadr. 2. p. 126. 



This species is a native of the northern parts of 

 America, and is not uncommon in Canada. It 

 is a short thic%:-bodied animal, approaching some- 

 what to the form of a Beaver, and is remarkable 

 for the length and fulness of its fur, which is soft, 

 of a dusky brown colour, and intermixed with 

 longer and coarser hairs with whitish tips: the 

 head is short; the nose blunt, the ears small and 

 rounded, the teeth very strong, the limbs short, the 

 feet armed with strong, crooked, sharp-pointed 

 claws, hollowed or channelled beneath : on the fore 

 feet are four toes, and on the hind five : the gene- 

 ral length, from nose to tail, is about a foot and 

 half: of the tail six inches. Edwards compares the 

 size to that of a fox, though the shape is widely 

 different The spines are nearly hid in the fur, 

 .and are only visible on a close inspection : they are 

 situated on the head and upper parts, as well as 

 on the tail : the longest are those on the back, 

 which measure about three inches, while those 

 on the other parts are proportionally shorter : 



