CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 1. RODENTIA. 
403 
COUIT, OR SPHIGGURE. 
described by Buffon under the name of Coendou, to which animal it has some analogy. It is 
about eighteen inches long, and the color is brown. Its movements are slow, and sometimes it 
continues twenty-four hours without a change of place. It is essentially a climber, and one 
described by Azara, in a state of domesticity, never walked on the floor, or on a flat surface, but 
crawled over the backs of the chairs, and placed itself on the window-shutters, where it remained 
for a long time. It ate sitting on its haunches, taking its food in its fore-paws. It was fed on 
bread, maize, manioc, herbs, and leaves, with flowers and fruits of various kinds. 
The other known species are the S. spinosus, S. villosus, S. melanurus, and S. bicolor, all of 
various parts of South America. They resemble the S. insidiosus, and indeed all are regarded as 
the same species by some naturalists. 
Genus CHETOMYS : Choetomys. — Of this there is a single species, the C. sub-spinosus, having 
cylindrical, sharp-pointed spines; the body thin and long, tail large, color a grayish-brown. The 
size is nearly that of the Couiy, the body measuring about eleven inches, and the tail ten. It is 
found in Brazil. 
Genus SYNETHERE, or OOENDOU : Synetlieres. — Of this, the most noted species is the 
CoENDOu, or Brazilian Porcupine, S. j^rehensilis. It is the Cuandu of Marcgrave and Piso ; 
the Orico Gachero and Espinho of the Portuguese ; the Hoitzlacuatzin of Hernandez, and is thus 
described by Pennant: nose short and blunt; long white whiskers; beneath the nose a bed of 
small spines; top of the head, back, sides, and base of the tail, covered with spines; the longest 
on the lower part of the back and tail, three inches in length, very sharp, white, barred near their 
points with black; adhere closely to the skin, which is quite naked between them; are shorter 
and weaker as they approach the belly; on the breast, belly, and lower part of the legs are con- 
verted into dark-brown bristles; feet divided into four toes; claws very long; on the place of the 
thumb a great protuberance; tail eighteen inches long, slender, and taper toward the end; the 
