38 Mammals of Eastern Asia 
parted along the middle. Erinaceus (the Latin word for a 
Hedgehog), on the contrary, has short ears (1 inch) and no 
parting of the spines on the crown. Both genera have the tail 
very short, about one-ninth of the length of the head and body. 
A Hedgehog can roll itself into a ball when disturbed, like an 
armadillo, at which time it erects all its spines for protection. 
The spines, though sharp, are not barbed as in North American 
Porcupines. 
The length of the body is not easily estimated on account of 
the spines. But 7 to 8 inches is approximately the distance from 
the nose to the base of the tail, including the spines. 
In the province of Hopei, China, the Hedgehogs are regarded 
as sacred. In Europe they were once believed to suck cows, much 
as milk snakes are said to do in the United States, and to be 
immune against poisons — particularly snake-bites. Their diges- 
tive powers must be great, for they are stated to be able to eat 
hundreds of blister beetles with apparent impunity. The normal 
food appears to be insects, frogs, mice, and worms. But in con- 
finement Hedgehogs eat almost any animal matter or soft 
vegetable matter they may be given. Near Peiping they feed 
extensively upon the maggots of flies. The number of young is 
4 or 5. 
The Long-eared Hedgehogs, genus Hemiechinus, are rep- 
resented in eastern Asia by the single species, H. dauricus, 
although others are known from central and western Asia, 
southeastern Europe, and northwestern Africa. H. dauricus, 
named after the Daurian region of northeastern Mongolia, is 
found from 300 to 600 miles inland (northwest) from Tientsin 
on the Gulf of Chihli. It therefore barely enters the area we 
have to consider. A second race, alaschanicus , is found in the 
Gobi Desert, twice as far away to the west. 
The True Hedgehogs, genus Erinaceus, are by far the bet- 
ter known, since they are common in northern Europe and Eng- 
land, where they have been studied intensively. The species of 
