little dogs, which seem to take great delight
in the sport, and, in spite of the formidable weapons of their
opponents, will rush in and draw them out of their dens without injury
to themselves. Even the settlers' dogs exhibit the same strong fancy
for hunting porcupines, but are not so successful in coming off without
injury; indeed, they often issue from the combat covered over with
spines sticking in their flesh.

Captain Hardy gives us an anecdote of the extraordinary fancy the Indian
dogs have for hunting porcupines. One of these dogs was quite blind;
and yet, if the porcupine "treed," the little animal would sit down
beneath, occasionally barking to inform his master where lodged the
fretful one. Another dog was not to be beaten when once on a porcupine.
If the animal was in its den, in he went, and, if possible, would haul
it out by the tail; if not strong enough, his master would fasten a
handkerchief round his middle, and attach to it a long twisted withe.
The dog would go in, and presently, between the two, out would come the
porcupine.

By the end of the "fall," the animal becomes loaded with fat, from
feeding on the berries found in the "barrens." Its cry is a plaintive,
whining sound, not very dissimilar to that of a calf moose. The female
produces two at a birth early in the spring. The porcupine can easily
be tamed; and Audubon mentions one which was so entirely domesticated,
that it would come voluntarily to its master, and take fruit or
vegetables out of his hand, rubbing against him as does an affectionate
cat. The same animal, however, showed considerable courage. On one
occasion it was attacked by a ferocious mastiff. One morning the dog
was seen making a dash at some object in the corner of the fence. This
proved to be the tame porcupine, which had escaped from its cage. The
dog seemed regardless of all its threats, and probably supposing it to
be an animal not more formidable than a cat, sprang at it with open
mouth. The porcupine seemed to swell up, in an instant, to nearly
double its size; and as the dog sprang upon it, dealt him such a
sidewise blow with the tail, as to cause the mastiff to relinquish his
hold instantly, and set up a howl of pain. His mouth and nose were full
of quills. He could not close his jaws, but hurried, open-mouthed, off
the premises. Although the servants instantly extracted the spines from
the mouth of the dog, his head was terribly pierced, and it was