THE PORCUPINE IN HERALDRY 
a protective armature, and it will be noticed at the Zoo 
that, if a porcupine is alarmed or threatened, it instinc- 
tively bristles out its spines and turns its back upon the 
quarter whence threatens the supposed aggression. 
Yet it is clear that these fixed bayonets are not inex- 
pugnable. For we are told that the tiger will make a 
meal of a porcupine. As to legend, there is of course 
the story that the porcupine shoots its quills. This 
legend is utilised in the coat of arms of the French king, 
Louis XII., who bore armorially a porcupine with the 
motto “‘ Comminus et eminus,”’ i.e. prepared for enemies 
close at hand and at a distance. There is a pig-like 
suggestion too in the legend that the porcupine is especi- 
ally infuriated by, and will savagely attack, venomous 
serpents ; for it is well known that a pig will encounter, 
trample to death, and munch up the fierce Fer de Lance 
of the West Indies. The porcupine is alleged to roll 
upon the snake and transfix it with its spines, just as the 
purely insect-eating hedgehog of this country is alleged 
to roll over fallen apples in the orchard and bear them 
off to its lair. Ifthe common porcupine of Asia, Africa, 
and even of certain parts of Southern Europe, be watched, 
the origin of the legend concerning the shooting off of its 
spines will be clear to the onlooker. It has the habit 
when annoyed of rustling its spines, and in the effort of 
rustling some of the spines will fall to the ground, or 
even be shaken to a little distance away. To such a 
small cause is the archery of the porcupine reduced. It 
is aremarkable fact that the porcupines of north and 
South America are arboreal, and that those of South 
America, which have a long tail, have that tail pre- 
hensile. There is thus an exact parallel between the 
monkey of the two hemispheres and the porcupines of 
the Old and New Worlds. Of the Canadian Urson and 
of the South American tree porcupines (Synetheres or 
Coendou), at any rate, of the latter, there are often, if 
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