populus
angulatus_ of botanists.'

"`Come, Harry,' said I, `let us first find the animal if we can.'

"We all turned toward the leafless grove. We had not walked many steps
in that direction, when the very animal we were in search of appeared on
the ground before us. It was quite three feet long, thick, broad in the
back, and arched from the nose to the tail. It was of a speckled grey
colour, but with the roughest coat of hair that could possibly be
imagined. Its head and nose were very small for the size of its body;
and its short, stout legs, with their long claws, were scarcely visible
under the thick, shaggy hair. Its ears were also buried under the hair;
and it looked more like a round tufted mass than an animal. It was down
upon the ground; and had evidently perceived our approach, as it was
making off through the grass as fast as it could. That, however, was
not very fast--not faster than a frog could go--for the animal in
question is one of the very slowest travellers.

"As soon as I caught sight of it, and saw that it was upon the ground--
and not among the branches, where I had expected to find it--I turned
round to secure the dogs. I was too late, for these unreasoning animals
had already seen it, and, forgetful of the lesson which the skunk had
taught them, were dashing forward in full cry. I endeavoured to call
them off; but, heedless of our shouts, both rushed on the strange
creature at once. The latter, seeing them approach, immediately
stopped, buried its head under its breast, seemed suddenly to swell
upward and outward to twice its natural size--while its rough thick tail
was brandished from side to side in a furious and threatening manner.

"We could all now see that that which had appeared to be coarse thick
hair was nothing else than long bristling spines, and Harry at once
cried out,--

"`A porcupine! a porcupine!'

"The dogs, unfortunately for themselves, did not know what it was; nor
did they stop to consider, but lashed upon it open-mouthed, as they
usually do with any strange animal. They did not hold it long; for the
next moment they dropped it, and came running back more open-mouthed
than ever--uttering the most piteous howls--and we saw that their noses,
lips, and jaws, were sticking full of the sharp quills! Meanwhile the
porcupine again stretched himself out; and, crawling to the foot of a
tree, commenced climbing up. But Cudjo, who was highly incensed with
the treatmen