urson

I at once saw that it was an "urson," or porcupine; although my companion supposed it to be another animal, as he could not see the long quills with which the English porcupine is armed.

Afar in the Forest William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The urson was tumbled into the cage, which had before served as a prison to the young puma, while one of smaller dimensions, with iron bars, served as the present habitation of the sable.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

They were greatly surprised at the size of the urson, which was nearly four feet long; the body measured upwards of three feet, and the tail rather less than nine inches.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

On the trunk of a fallen tree, stood a porcupine, or urson, with quills erect, looking down on a smaller animal, which I at once recognised as a marten, or rather, a sable, which was gazing up in a defiant way, apparently meditating an attack on the other.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

While I kept back the dogs, Uncle Denis, kneeling down, pulled out the quills, and then throwing my blanket over the animal, he secured it as we had done the urson.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

Having secured the urson in a way which made its escape impossible, we turned our attention to the sable, which the dogs had brought to bay, but the brave little creature was becoming faint, from the wounds inflicted on it from the porcupine's tail, the quills from which were sticking out all over one side of its body.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The urson plays a not unimportant part in the destruction of the forests of

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

"Keep back the dogs or the sable will escape and the urson will treat them in a way they are not likely to forget."

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

Our urson, though it became attached to Uncle Denis and would feed out of his hand, was always an object of awe to the rest of the animals, who seemed well aware of its power of inflicting punishment on any of them who might offend it.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

The sable took even longer to tame than the urson.

With Axe and Rifle William Henry Giles Kingston 1847