Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/304

* PORCH. 256 PORCUPINE-FISH. the richest oruamentation. (See Portal.) Thus the cathedral porclies of the tliirtecnth century, especially in France, are made to .shelter great nunibers'of .statues of life-size, and larger, and a still greater crowd of small figures under niches; and in addition to this, raucli floral sculpture. In Kngland there still remain many wooden porches of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and one or two exist on the Continent. Finally, it must he mentioned that the lower story of a tower is often made to serve as a porch, haing, perliajjs, tlirce doorways in its three free sides, and in the fourtli side a doorway into the church. The most elaborate porch of this character is con- nected with the Church of Saint-I?enoit-sur-Loire (Loiret), France. In domestic buildings, especially in lands where there is much hot sun, it is common to have verandas, and these are porches if the access to the doorways of entrance is by means of them. The propylaea of a Greek ])alace or temple inclosure is to be considered a porch, although the person entering does not reach the main build- ing immediately. See Proptl.ea. PORCIA GENS (Lat., Porcian family). A plebeian gens of Rome, appearing first in the third century n.c. Its most famous family bore the name of Cato. PORCUPINE (OF. pore cspin, It. porco spino, from ML. porous s.pinosus, porcupine, spine-hog, from Lat. porous, swine, hog, pig, and spina, .spine, thorn). .V large forest-dwelling rodent of the family Hystricida?, characterized prominently by an armature of horny spines ("liorcupine quills") intermixed with coarse hairs. The family includes two well defined sub-families, the Old World porcupines, Hystricinic, which are terrestrial and fossorial, and the N'ew World por- cupines, Sphinguriniie, which are aboreal and not LOWER TEETU OF A PORCUPINE. Showing: tbe method of jjrowth of thp great incisor, reacliing back beyond the roots of the molars; the hinder end is out away to expose the pulp and pulp cavity. fossorial. Other differences also occur in the skeletons. Of the Hystricinje, the best known species is the common porcupine {Hystrix oris- tatn) of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the largest of rodents, being from two to three feet in length, besides the (ail. which is about six inches long. The occiput and ne^^k are fur- nislied with a crest of long, erectile bristles. The muzzle and limbs are covered with very short hair; the back and sides with spines, which on the middle of the back are almost of the thick- ness of a goose-quill, and more than a foot long. The spines are supported by a slender pedicle, terminate in a sharp point, and are ringed with black and white, which gives a general gray color to the animal. Their ordinary' position is flat, with the points directed backward; but when the animal is excited they are erected, giving the beast the bristling appearance showii in the ac- companying plate. It can roll itself up like a liedgehog, with spines pointing in every direction. The spines or quills at the tip of the tail are of very singular structure, being open thin-sided tubes, about two inelies long, supported upon slen- der flexible pedicles, and they make a sound by rattling together when the tail is shaken. The animal is solitary and nocturnal, burrows in the ground, and in winter becomes torpid. It feeds on roots, bark, fruits, and other vegetable substances, sometimes committing depredations in gardens. The spines or quills of this, as well as of other porcupines, are used for various purposes, and have a certain commercial value. A larger species of porcupine (Uysfrix louourus), with the quills of the tail quite white, is found in India, and otiier species inhabit dill'erent parts of Asia and Africa. The Malayan and West African brush- tailed porcupines of the genus Atherura difl'er from the true porcupines in having the quills flat- tened like blades of grass, and those of the tail gathered into a tuft at the end of it. Of the other sub-family, the Sphingurina?, the best known species is the North American porcu- pine {Erothhon dorsatus) of the forested parts of Canada and the Xorthcastern L'nited States. It is about 2y> feet long, the tail adding about six inches more. The spines are only two or three inches long, yellowish-white, niiugled with black hair, giving the animal a black and white color. The spines are largest along the sides of the broad, flat tail. The Canada porcupine is often seen on the ground, where it makes a home among the rocks, or in a hollow stump, but spends most of its time in trees, especially evergreens. It is harmless and inofl'ensive, but is able to resist at- tack well, not onh' by its armature of quills, but by powerful strokes of its tail, and feeds on hark, buds, leaves, fruit, etc. The flesh of the young ones is very good. A closely allied species, the yellow porcupine, is found in the West. The other species of this sul)-family are small strictly ar- boreal species, with more or less prehensile tail, found in Mexico and South America. They are called 'tree porcupines' and belong to the genera Sphingurus, which has short s]iines, and Ch;e- tomys, in which the body is clad with stout, wavy bristles. Consult general natural histories: especially, for the Canada porcupine. Stone and Cram, Amerioan Aniiiiols (New York. 1902) ; Merriam, Mammals of the Adin»id,ficks (ib., ISO.-?); Ingersoll, Wild Xeighhors: (ib., 1898). PORCUPINE-FISH. One of a family, Dio- dontida', of the order Plectognathi, allied to the globe-fishes. Tetraodontidie, from which they difl'er chiefly in the stronger armature of the skin, and in having no division in the bony plate of either javf. They are short and broad in form, and are covered everywhere with spines, each rooted upon a bony base, and in some species with strong, hair-like bristles. Each jaw is covered with a bony plate, like a beak of a bird, and the nostrils form small tentacles. They are sluggish fishes, inhabiting warm seas of various parts of the world and living on the bottom among weeds and corals. When disturbed they swallow air. and float bell.v upward on the water, but their capacity of inflation is much less than that of the globe-fishes. They are generally regarded as poisonous, and therefore rarely used as food, but they are often utilized as curiosities. The best known species is Diodon hystri-x, common every-