The Hedgehog. 75 



The Hedgehog is said to suck the milk from cows ; but 

 this is impossible, as the mouth of the Hedgehog would 

 not admit the teat of the cow. The Hedgehog, how- 

 ever, sometimes destroys eggs, and has been known to 

 attack frogs, mice, and even toads, when pressed by 

 hunger ; it will also occasionally eat the tuberous roots 

 of plants, boring under the root, so as to devour it, and 

 yet leave the stem and leaves untouched. The Hedge- 

 hog makes himself a nest of leaves and soft wool for the 

 winter, in the hollow trunk of an old tree, or in a hole 

 in a rock or bank ; and here, having coiled himself up, 

 he passes the winter in one long unbroken sleep. 

 Hedgehogs may easily be tamed, and are sometimes kept 

 in the kitchens in London houses to destroy the black- 

 beetles. The flesh of the Hedgehog iB sometimes eaten ; 

 especially by gipsies, who appear to consider it a delicacy. 

 It is said to be well-tasted, and to have abundance of 

 yellow fat. 



In times when insect food is scarce he will also regale 

 himself upon apples and pears which have fallen from the 

 trees, but a glance at the structure of the creature ought 

 to be sufficient to convince any one that the charges often 

 brought against him of climbing trees to detach the 

 fruit which he is said afterwards to carry off by the 

 ingenious expedient of throwing himself down upon it 

 from the branches so as to attach it to his spines, are 

 totally without foundation. 



