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ne Porcupine from Hudfon’s Bay. 
F O R Shape and Bignefs it much refcmbles a Caftor or Beaver, or to compare it to 
fome well known thing for Size of Body, it is equal to a Fox, tho" unlike it in 
Shape; the Head is like a Rabifs; it hath a flat Nofe intirely cover'd with fhort Hair; 
the Teeth before, two above and two beneath, are very flrong, of a yellow Colour, and 
feem to be made for gnawing or biting of Grafs; it hath very Ihiall Ears hardly ap- 
pearing beyond the Fur ; the Legs are fhort, the Claws long, four on each Foot for- 
wards, and five on each hinder Foot, all hollowed within like Scoops; the Tail is of a 
middling Length, thicker toward the Body than at the End, the urtder-fide of the Tail 
towards the End is White; it is clothed all over the Body with pretty foft Fur about 
four Inches long, tho' fhorter about the Head and near the Paws, and a little longer on 
the hinder Part of the Head ; beneath the Hair on the upper Part of the Head, Body 
and Tail, it is thick let with very fharp Riff Quills, the longefl: being hardly three Inches 
long, which gradually fhortens towards the Nofe, and on the Sides towards the Belly, 
the Quills cannot be leen through the Fur, except a little on the Rump where the Hair 
was thin; it had befides the fbft Fur which was all the Body over of a dark Brown or 
Sable-colour, fome long Riff flraggling Hairs thinly fet, three Inches longer than the 
under Fur, the Ends of which being of a dirty White, made the Fur appear a little 
grifledin fome Places, the Quills are very fharp, feveral of them having Ruck faRer in 
my Fingers than in the Skin on a flight touch ; they are bearded, and not cafily drawn 
out when enter'd the Skin : There came over with this, a young one about the Bignefs 
of a Rat; it had a blacker Fur than the old one, and the Quills were plainly feen and 
felt among the Hair. 
Thefe were brought from Uudfon's Bay^ and prefented to Dr. i?. M. Mafey^ and are 
now in Sir Flans Sloane s Colledion at Cbelfea, I believe this Creature has not before 
been deferib'd. The C^iills-are white with black Points. See in the Plate a Qiiiil of 
its natural Shape and Size, and the Point of a Quill magnified.^ 
A Friend of mine refiding at Hudfon's Bay\ at my RequeR has refolved me fome 
Queries I font him relating to this Creature. 
ExtraB from his iMter^ dated Albany, AuguR lo, 1742. 
H E Porcupine in this Country, is a BeaR which makes its NeR or Den under 
JL Roots of great Trees, and fleeps much ; it feeds on the Bark of Juniper 
and other Trees, but chiefly on Juniper; in Winter it cats Snow inRead of drinking, 
“ and laps Water in Summer like a Cat or Dog, but carefully avoids going into if. 
“ His Hair and Quills remain ail Summer without alteration of Colour; but as the 
Weather grows warmer in the Spring, the Fur grows thinner, as in all Creatures in 
‘‘ this Country. But you may depend on better Information next Year, for they are 
“ very^ plentiful on the EaR Main, feveral of my trading Indians depending on them 
‘‘ for PYod at fome Sealbns of the Year. 
Tour mo/f humble Servant^ 
AiEXAxNUBR Lig if t. 
A 
