LONG-TAILED PORCUPINJE. 
by a thousand future writers, that the Porcu- 
pme darts it's quills ; and, that these quills, 
when separated from the animal, penetrate 
deeper, by their own proper exertion, into the 
bodies which they have once entered." 
From this group of credulous travellers Dr. 
Shav/ is excepted — Of the many Porcu- 
pines," says he, which I have seen in Africa> 
I never knew any of them, though very much 
provoked, that could 'dart their quills. Their 
usual method of defence is, to recline them- 
selves on one side ; and, on the enemy's near 
approach, to rise up quickly, and gore him 
with the erc6led prickles on the other." Nor 
does P. Vincent Marie by any means assert, 
that the Porcupine darts it's quills ; he only 
says, tliat this animal, when it meets with 
serpents, against which it carries on a perpe- 
tual war, rolls itself up like a ball, concealing 
it's head and feet, and then rolls on and kills 
them with it's prickles, without running any 
risque of being wounded. He adds, what wc 
believe to be true, that in the stomach of the 
Porcupine different kinds of bezoar are formed. 
Some of these are only a mass of roots en- 
veloped 
