Some remarkable Vulgar Prejudices. 559 



Art. II. A short Sketch of the most remarkable of the Vulgar 

 Prejudices connected with Objects of Natural History, By 

 W. G. Barker, Esq. 



It is surprising that, in all ages, some birds and quadrupeds 

 have most undeservedly fallen into an almost general dislike, 

 while others have been elevated, v^^ith as little reason, high 

 in the regard of the vulgar. 



The Nightjar [Caprirnulgus eiirojpceus) has been peculiarly 

 unfortunate in the former of these respects : its common names, 

 ** goatsucker," and " puckeridge," have been given to it in 

 consequence of its supposed evil habits. It is accused, in 

 Italy, of sucking the teats of goats : hence the origin of the 

 appellation Caprimulgus [goat-milker] ; and this term has, in 

 consequence of the imagined crimes of an individual species, 

 been foolishly applied to the w^hole genus. It is unaccount- 

 able how such a charge could arise. The other accusation 

 against the nightjar is, that of its inflicting upon weanling 

 calves the disorder known by the name of puckeridge ; and 

 this it is supposed to do by striking at them. The absurdity 

 of this makes any refutation of it unnecessary. 



The Hedgehog (Ftrindceus europcv'us) has been charged with 

 sucking the teats of cows and sheep ; a charge as unfounded, 

 and as unjust, as that against the nightjar. The sages by 

 whom the alleged guilt of the hedgehog, in this particular, 

 was discovered, had forgotten to examine the mouth of this 

 animal : had they only taken the trouble to do this, they would 

 have found that it is utterly impossible for so small an animal 

 to take the teat of a cow, or even that of a sheep, between its 

 jaws ; and, without this means of contact, they would not, 

 surely, assert that the deed could be possibly committed. 

 The liedgehog is, too, accused of ascending trees for the pur- 

 pose of carrying off fruit on the points of its spines. Persons 

 who have kept these animals in gardens deny the charge, and 

 say that they have never seen them attempt to climb into fruit 

 trees, or to even carry off fallen fruit upon their spines. In- 

 deed, if the hedgehog ever did the latter, it is to me a mystery 

 how it would act to disengage the fruit again. Count de 

 Buffon kept a litter of young ones, with their mother, for some 

 time, and these refused to touch cherries and fruit when offered 

 to them. In the summer of 1830, a great many carnations 

 withered away and died. A gardener, the greater portion of 

 whose stock had perished in this manner, observing that a 

 number of hedgehogs frequented his grounds, immediately 

 fixed upon them as the depredators, and, communicating the 

 idea to others, who, like himself, had been sufferers, a general 



