ii8 THE HEDGEHOG 



hunting, its den being betrayed by the strong smell, is the extinc- 

 tion of this, on the whole, harmless creature. 



HEDGEHOG. Nocturnal or crepuscular in habit, little is seen 

 of this quadruped, except in the long summer evenings and in the 



FIG. 76. TRAPPING THE HEDGEHOG. 



References : a, butt of tree (a wall, board fence, or other close back answers) ; b, stick or thorns 

 thrust well into the ground and standing a foot or more above ground so as to form a narrow 

 (7 or 8 in. wide) passage from tree or back quite close and extending about 18 in. outwards ; 

 c, bait (egg with hole in shell, or recently dead chick) ; d, trap, uncovered and wrongly placed, 

 as the animal may tread on spring and strike trap, thus escaping capture ; e, proper place for 

 table or mouth of trap, the spring being towards c and also the peg to which chain of trap is secured, 

 so that the animal is caught on entering passage, the trap being concealed by covering with 

 earth lightly and evenly so as to resemble surface of ground, and strike promptly and effec- 

 tively when tablets trod upon by animal. 



early dawn. Its usual food consists of large insects, worms, 

 slugs and snails, also mice and voles, particularly their young. It 

 is of great service to the forester, and beneficial to the farmer and 

 gardener by devouring noxious insects and various small vermin. 

 But the hedgehog also eats roots and other vegetable substances, 

 even fruit, fallen or within reach, such as Morello cherries low down 



