The Natural History of Selborne 113 



rition ; 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 hanging 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 

 (Turdus 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 

 Fauna 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 moose- 

 deer; but in general foreign animals fall seldom in my way; 

 my little intelligence is confined to the narrow sphere of my 

 own observations at home. 



