291 
and assumes more of the quality of hair. # Goats 
are found throughout the island both in a wild and 
tame state. Flacourt assures us, that they kid three 
times a year, and frequently bring forth four at a time. 
There are abundance of hogs both wild and tame; 
the flesh of the latter is very luscious and whole¬ 
some, from their feeding on land tortoises and eggs, 
plenty of which are to be found in the thickets and 
amongst the long grass. The wild hog is described 
by Flacourt as having two short horns growing out 
of the snout towards the eyes, from which circum¬ 
stance Buffon has supposed it to be the Babyroussa, 
which is also called by some travellers “ the wild 
boar of Africa.” The flesh of these latter is reckoned 
good when fat, but the natives eat neither, having 
adopted that part of the Mahometan discipline after 
the example of the Arabs who conquered the island. 
Porcupines are very numerous, and although their 
flesh is flabby and insipid, it is much esteemed by the 
natives. They sleep some months under ground, 
and lose their quills at that time. 
Hedge-hogs are also to be found every where, and 
have the same character and habits as those of Europe. 
The Tanrec and Tendrac, are animals of a very 
singular description. The former is about the size of 
a rat, and the latter as big as a cat, but longer in pro¬ 
portion to its bulk. They are of the hedge-hog species, 
* Buffon, Vol. XXIII. p. 168 . It is an observation too 
common to enlarge upon, that the richer the pasture the coarser 
the wool. 
u C Z 
