Gerald Schieman, age 15 of Eastview, Ontario, for his question:

Do porcupines really throw their quills?

This is a popular question and once in a while Andy has to set the matter straight. This is a painful job, because people always write afterwards and tell Andy he was wrong. Nevertheless. Andy has never found a re1iab1a scientist who says that the porcupine throws his quills at his enemies. Every reliable witness says that he does not.

Perhaps it is hard to follow, events in the heat of battle. The porcupine is, by nature, a gentle creature. He does not pick a fight but he will defend himself when attacked. At such times he moves very fast and his actions are hard to follow.

The long quills on his tail are very loosely fixed. A slight blow jars them loose. And Mr. Prickles uses that tail to deliver blow after blow. The cruel quills, barbed at the points, cone loose and stick into the enemy.