$0 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
moment of parturition, but it is plain they soon harden; for these 
little pigs had such stiff prickles on their backs and sides as would 
easily have fetched blood, had they not been handled with caution. 
Their spines are quite white at this age ; and they have little hang- 
ing ears, which I do not remember to be discernible in the old 
ones. They can, in part, at this age draw their skin down over 
their faces; but are not able to contract themselves into a ball, as 
they do, for the sake of defence, when full grown. The reason, I 
suppose, is, because the curious muscle that enables the creature 
to roll itself up in a ball was not then arrived at its full tone and 
firmness. Hedgehogs make a deep and warm hybernaculum with 
leaves and moss, in which they conceal themselves for the winter : 
but I never could find that they stored in any winter provision, as 
some quadrupeds certainly do. 
I have discovered an anecdote with respect to the fieldfare (¢urdus 
pilaris), which I think is particular enough; this bird, though it 
sits on trees in the daytime, and procures the greatest part of its 
food from white-thorn hedges; yea, moreover, builds on very high 
trees, as may be seen by the fauma suecica; yet always appears with 
us to roost on the ground.* They are seen to come in flocks just 
before it is dark, and to settle and nestle among the heath on our 
forest. And besides, the larkers in dragging their nets by night 
frequently catch them in the wheat stubbles ; while the bat-fowlers, 
who take many redwings in the hedges, never entangle any of this 
species. Why these birds, in the matter of roosting, should differ 
from all their congeners, and from themselves also with respect to 
their proceedings by day, is a fact for which I am by no means able 
to account. 
I have somewhat to inform you of concerning the soo05se-deer ; 
but in general foreign animals fall seldom in my way; my little 
intelligence is confined to the narrow sphere of my own observa- 
tions at home. 
* See also Letter XXVI. They generally sleep on the ground, but sometimes also in 
low pine trees, or evergreen bushes. 
