THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
503 
the fur, and abundant on the upper surface of the head, body and tail, are two 
or three inches long, white with dark points; the tail is about ten inches 
additional to the above length; the incisor teeth are of a deep orange color. 
It is a very clumsy animal, with much-arched back, snout thick and tumid, 
ears short and rounded, and tongue rough with scales. It is found between 
northern Pennsylvania and latitude 67° N., and to the east of the upper 
Missouri river. It is an excellent though a slow climber; is not able to escape 
its enemies by flight, but cannot be attacked even by the largest carnivora with 
impunity; dogs, wolves, the lynx, and the cougar have been known to die from 
the inflammation produced by its quills ; these are loosely attached to the skin 
and barbed at the point, so that they easily penetrate, retain their hold, and 
tend continually to become more deeply inserted; when irritated it erects its 
quills, and by a quick lateral movement of the tail strikes its enemy, leaving 
the nose, mouth and tongue beset with its darts ; it has no power of shooting 
the quills. Its food consists of vegetable substances, especially the inner bark 
and tender twigs of the elm, basswood and hemlock; it seldom quits a tree 
while the bark is uneaten, except in 
cold weather, when it descends to sleep 
in a hollow stump or cave; as it kills 
the trees which it ascends, its depreda¬ 
tions are often serious. The nest is 
made in a hollow tree, and the young, 
general^ two, are born in April or May. 
It is almost as large as a beaver, 
and is eagerly hunted by the Indians, 
who eat the flesh and use the quills to 
ornament their moccasins, belts, pouches, 
bags, baskets and canoes, for which pur¬ 
pose they are often dyed with bright 
colors; it is very tenacious of life; it 
does not hibernate as the European por¬ 
cupine is said to do. This animal shows plainly that the quills are only modi¬ 
fied hairs, as it presents quills on the back, spiny hairs on the sides, and coarse, 
bristly hairs on the under surface, passing into each other in regular gradations. 
These quills, or more properly spines, vary in length, those of the greatest 
length being so soft and flexible as to offer little resistance, but beneath these 
are the shorter spines which constitute the animal’s real armament. Their 
length is from five to ten inches and they are both stiff and very sharp-pointed. 
In making an attack or resisting its enemy the porcupine moves backward 
with all its spines spread. When it strikes a foe these shorter spines are left 
in the wounds, being so slightly attached to the skin of the animal. They are 
so pointed that if not quickly withdrawn they work deeper into the flesh and 
will cause death. In Africa and India, where the porcupine abounds, it is a 
rather common circumstance to find a leopard or tiger that has been killed by 
the perietration of its flesh by the porcupine spines. In one instance, a tiger 
was found dead whose head, paws and ears were filled with the spfnes of a 
porcupine which it had vainly tried to kill. The porcupine , though conscious of 
its power, is by no means aggressive, and will escape by flight rather than risk 
a conflict, but when set upon there are few more dangerous adversaries. 
COMMON PORCUPINE. 
