The flesh of the Porcupine is good food, with somewhat the flavor of pork. It is, doubtless this similarity, and also the grunting noise which it makes, to which it owes its name of Porcupine, as they were originally called Porcus Spinatus, or “Prickly Pigs.”
THE BRUSH-TAILED PORCUPINE.
The Sunda Islands possess a species of Porcupine which is distinguished from the preceding by a long tail. This is the Malacca Porcupine, or Brush-tailed Porcupine. It is smaller than the common species, and is found in Sumatra, Java and Malacca.
THE CANADIAN PORCUPINE.
America also possesses some species of Porcupines. The most remarkable is the Urson, or Canadian Porcupine, which is found north of the 46th degree of latitude. It is as large as the European species, and it inhabits pine forests, feeding principally on the bark of trees, and its den is hollowed out underneath their roots. When attacked, it draws its legs beneath its body, sets up its quills, and lashes around with its tail.
The Indians hunt it for the sake of its flesh, which is good, and also for its skin, from which they make caps, after having plucked out the quills, which are used by them for pins.
PREHENSILE-TAILED PORCUPINES.
Prehensile Porcupines are characterised by a partly bare, prehensile tail, and hooked and sharply-pointed claws, which enable them to climb trees. Their quills are not long, and are frequently hidden under their hair. They have a depressed forehead, and not a prominent one, like that of common Porcupines. They are principally met with in South America.
THE SQUIRREL FAMILY.
The Squirrels are pretty little animals, distinguished by their graceful forms and bushy tails. The Common Squirrel lives in tree-tops and feeds upon fruit and nuts. During the fine summer nights the voices of the Squirrels may be heard, as they chase each other in the tops of the trees. They appear to dislike the heat of the sun, and remain during the day in their nests, coming out in the evening to play and to feed. The nest is warm, neat and impervious to rain; it is generally placed in the fork of a tree. They construct it by interlacing twigs with moss, pressing and treading on their work to make it firm and capacious, that their little ones may repose in safety. The only opening to this nest is at the top, just sufficiently wide to allow the Squirrel to pass in and out; above the aperture is a kind of conical roof, which completely shelters it, and allows no rain to enter the nest.