Sicily ; but 19 supposed to have been origi- 
nally imported into those parts of Europe 
from other regions. 
The power of darting its quills with great 
violence, and to a considerable distance, so 
confidently ascribed to the porcupine, has 
been doubted; but it is surely not improba- 
ble that the porcupine possessing, like other 
quadrupeds, the power of corrugating or 
shaking the general skin of its body, may 
sometimes by this motion cast off a few of its 
loose quills to some distance, and thus slightly 
wound any animal that may happen to stand 
in its way ; and this may have given rise to 
the popular idea of its darting them at plea- 
sure against its enemies. That it really does 
cast them off occasionally with some degree 
of violence there is no reason to doubt. 
The strongest and shortest of the quills are 
most easily detached, and are those which 
the animals dart against the hunters, by 
shaking their skin as dogs do when they 
come out of the water. 
The porcupine feeds principally on roots, 
fruits, barks, and other vegetable substances: 
it inhabits holes or subterraneous retreats, 
which it is said to form into several compart- 
ments or divisions, leaving only a single hole 
or entrance. It sleeps much by day, and 
makes its excursions for food during the 
night. The female produces two young at a 
birth, and these, if taken early, are said to be 
easily tamed.. 
The porcupine admits of considerable va- 
riety as to the length and proportion of the 
quills in different specimens and from dif- 
ferent countries : the long crested bristles on 
the back of the head, in particular, are much 
more conspicuous in some than in others. 
See Plate, Nat. Hist. fig. 231: 
2. Hystrix prehensilis, is an American 
species, and is found in many of the hotter 
parts of that continent; particularly in Bra- 
sil, where it inhabits woods, and climbs trees ; 
clinging occasionally to the branches by its 
tail, in the manner of some of the opossums 
and monkies. It is said to feed not only on 
fruits of various kinds, but also on birds. It 
HYSTRIX, 
sleeps during the greater part of the day, 
concealing itself in the hollows of trees, oi 
beneath their roots, its voice, according to 
Marcgrave, resembles tire grunting of a pig. 
Its general length is about a toot, and the 
tail about eighteen inches. The whole ani- 
mal, except bn the belly and insides of the 
limbs, is covered with short, strong, and very 
sharp* spines, of which the longest measure 
three inches, and are white, barred towards 
the points with black. The colour of the 
hair with which the under parts are covered 
is a dusky brown. The head is small ; the 
nose extremely blunt; and the teeth very 
laree and strong: the ears short, moderately 
large, and rounded; the feet have four toes 
each’ with strong claws, and a tubercle in 
place of a fifth toe; the tail is covered with 
spines for about a third part of its length; the 
remainder being nearly naked, and stiongiy 
prehensile. 
3. Hystrix Mexicana. The Mexican porcu- 
pine, which is placed as a variety of the hys- 
trix prehensilis in the Gmelinian edition of 
the Systema Naturae, seems to be justly con- 
sidered by Mr. Pennant as a distinct species. 
It is as large, according to Hernandes, as a 
middle-sized dog, and is of a dusky brown 
colour, with very long bristles intermixed 
with the fur. This animal inhabits the hilly 
parts of Mexico, residing in woods, and feed- 
ing, like the former, on fruits, &c. It is said 
to be easily tamed. ^ 
4. Hystrix macroura. The iridescent por- 
cupine is an animal of a very extraordinary 
appearance. It is of a. very thick form, and 
is coated with short, stiff, needle-like bi istles, 
or small spines, which, according to the dif- 
ferent directions of the light, exhibit change- 
able colours, appearing either of a gilded 
green, or of a reddish* tinge. If we except 
the gilded, or cape mole, it seems to be al- 
most the only quadruped yet known with 
changeable-coloured hair. 
5. Hystrix fasciculata is a native of Ma- 
lacca. It differs from the common porcupine 
in several particulars, and especially in the 
form and length of its tail, which is naked, 
scaly, about a third of the length of the body, 
§57 
and terminated by a tuff of long flat hairs, or 
rather small white laminae, resembling strips 
of parchment. The body measures fifteen or 
sixteen inches, and is consequently less than 
that of the European porcupine. 
This species, like others of its genus (v. Inch 
nature seems to have provided with defensive 
weapons only), possesses a kind of instinctive , 
fierceness: when approached, it stamps with, 
its feet, and appears to inflate itself, raising 
and shaking its quills.' It sleeps much by 
day, and is active only by night. It eats in- a 
sitting posture, holding apples and other 
fruits between its paws, peeling them with its 
teeth. 
6. Hystrix dorsata is a native of the north- 
ern parts of America, and is not uncommon in 
Canada. It is a short thick-bodied animal, 
approaching somewhat to the form of a bea- 
ver, and is remarkable for the length and ful- 
ness of its fur, which is soft, of a dusky 
brown colour, and intermixed with longer 
and coarser hairs with whitish tips. 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 mea- 
sure about three inches, while those on the 
other parts are proportionally shorter : they' 
are strong and sharp-pointed, and so fonnec,. 
as to appear, when examined with a magni- 
fier, as it barbed at the tips with numerous, 
small, reversed points or prickles, and are so 
slightly attached to the skin as to be loosened 
with great ease: and the animal will some- 
times purposely brush against the legs of those 
who disturb it, leaving several of the spines 
sticking in the skin. 
It is said to feed principally on the haricot 
the juniper tree. It drinks by lapping, in the 
manner of a dog. It resides in holes unoer 
the roots of trees, on which, like some others 
of this genus, it often climbs, and is thus 
killed by the American Indians, who consider 
it as a "useful article of food : they also use 
the quills by way of fringes, and for the pur- 
pose of ornamenting their boxes, &e»- 
j:np of the first volume. 
