AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
241 
CANADA PORCUPINE. 
HYSTRIX PILOSUS. 
Hystrix Pilosus Americanus, Catesby. Carol. appPp. 
30. Richardson, Faun. Ain. bor. 214. Porcupine 
from Hudson’s bay, Edwards. Cavia Hudsonius, 
Klein, Quad. p. 51. Hystrix Hudsonius, Brisson, 
Regn. an. p. 148. Hystrix dorsata. Lin. syst. p. 57. 
Canada Porcupine, Forster, Phil. Tran. lxii. p. 374. 
Pennant, Quad. ii. p. 126. Godman, ii. 160. Bear 
Porcupine, Harlan. 190. S Porcupine of North Ame- 
rica, Cozzens, Ann. Lyceum, Nat. Hist. i. 190. 
Eretizon dorsatum, F. 'Cuvier, Mem. de Mus. ix. p. 
431. — Philadelphia Museum. 
The Porcupines belong to the genus Hystrix, Lin., 
which is characterised by having the clavicles imperfect, 
two incisor teeth in each jaw, and four molars both above 
and below on each side, these have flat crowns, surrounded 
by a line of enamel, which enters into both edges, appears 
to divide the tooth into two portions ; there are also small 
lines of enamel radiating from the centre which are worn 
down by attrition; the muzzle is thick and truncated; the 
lip divided; the tongue furnished with spiny scales; the ears 
short and round; the anterior feet have four toes, whilst the 
posterior have five, all armed with thick nails. Cuvier, 
however, divides this genus into Hystrix, Athetura, 
Eretison, and Synethera. The sub-genus Eretison, 
which is founded on the subject of our present sketch, is 
distinguished by the head being flat, the muzzle short and 
not arched, the tail of a moderate length, the spines short 
and almost hidden in the hair. 
The common Porcupine, ( H cristata) although known 
from the earliest ages, has given rise to numberless fables; 
among which, that commonly received, is, that it pos- 
sesses the power of ejecting its quills to a considerable 
distance when irritated or pursued; but although it has not 
this mode of defending itself, it is by no means a contempti- 
ble antagonist, as when attacked it will throw itself with 
great fierceness towards its opponent, and almost always 
sideways, and as it is on the sides that the spines are strong- 
est it often inflicts wounds by means of them; its bite is also 
very severe, from the strength and size of its incisor teeth. 
The use of this armature has been the subject of inquiry 
among naturalists, and does not appear to be well under- 
stood; the most probable idea, however, is, that, like that 
of the Hedgehog, it is merely for defence, as, like that ani- 
mal, it has the power of rolling itself into a ball, and thus 
presenting a phalanx of spears on every side, that renders 
the attacks cf most animals perfectly fruitless; in fact, it has 
3 P 
few enemies to dread except that universal destroyer — man. 
Thunberg, however, attributes a most extraordinary use to 
these spines: he says, he was informed that the Ceylonese 
Porcupine “has a very curious method of fetching water for 
its young, viz: the quills in the tail are said to be hollow, 
and to have a hole at the extremity ; and that the animal can 
bend them in such a manner, as that they can be filled with 
water, which afterwards is discharged in the nest among the 
young.” This account, which. is as erroneous as that of 
their having the power of shooting their quills, shows how 
apt even naturalists are to adopt the current fables of a coun- 
try on mere hearsay, and without investigation into their 
verity, or even probability. 
The Canada Porcupine is a very unsightly and sluggish 
animal, and is not provided with the long quills so remark- 
able in the last mentioned species, its armature consisting of 
short sharp spines almost/ concealed by the hair with which 
they are intermingled. Buffon terms it urson, intending, 
as is observed by Dr. Richardson, to recall the memory of 
Hudson, the discoverer of the country where it abounds, 
and also to denote its spiny appearance, resembling that of 
the Hedgehog, ( herisson ). As will be seen by the list of 
synonymes, it has received a variety of appellations from 
different naturalists, and as Catesby’s name of pilosus was 
bestowed upon it prior to that of dorsata, we have adopted 
it, though the other is generally retained by authors. The 
following description of it, by Dr. Richardson, is so full, 
that we extract it, instead of attempting to draw out another. 
“Form. — Body thick and clumsy, back much arched in a 
regular curve from the nose to the buttocks, when it drops 
more rapidly to the tail, which is very low. Legs very 
short. Tail, short, thick, rounded at the tip, and turned a 
little upwards. Nose flattish above, broad and abrupt. 
There is a narrow, naked margin round the nostrils, but 
there is no smooth dividing line on the upper lip. Eyes, 
lateral, very small, and round. Ears situated behind and 
above the auditory opening, covered as thickly with fur as 
the neighouring parts, and entirely concealed by it. Inci- 
sors nearly as strong as those of the beaver. They curve 
forward a little so as to project beyond the nose, are convex 
anteriorly narrower behind, and A are not much compressed. 
They have a yellow colour. The crowns of the grinders, 
as they wear, acquire an even surface.” 
“Fur. — The upper lip covered with short hair of a dull 
yellowish brown colour. The cheeks and forehead are 
clothed with liver brown hair, moderately long, interspersed 
with a very few black and white hairs. The hair on the 
body, both above and below, is long, and of a dull liver- 
brown colour, intermixed on all the upper parts, and on the 
hips with still larger hairs, some of which are entirely black, 
others entirely white, and a third set black at the roots and 
