BHASILIAN PORCUPINE. 
ledge, indeed," says he, " that though the Co-- 
endoii and Hoitztlacuatzln are probably th^^ 
same animal, their identity is not so certain as'; 
that of the Great and Small Coendou. How-' 
ever this matter stands," adds Buffon, " the- 
Coendou is not the Porcupine." This is a 
point the great naturalist will not give up, and ! 
the reason is evident — " it is found," says he, 
throug-h the v/hole continent of America, 
from Brasil, and Guiana, as far as Louisiana, 
and the southern parts of Canada — but the 
Porcupine is confined to the warm req;ions of 
the Old Continent 1 
*' Of late," says Buffon, at his commence-^ 
ment of this very article, ^' the history of ani- 
mals has been solely composed by men v.ho 
are prejudiced' with methodical arrangements." 
In this there is certainly some truth; but has 
not he, also, his prejudices ? ^Vllo, indeed, is 
altogether without them? 
In the Voyages de la Hontan, it is said — '• 
We spied a Porcupine on a small tree; 
which we cut down, for the pleasure of s'ee- 
i?.ig the animal fall. He is very fat, and the 
natives 
