THE HEDGEHOG. 239 



The animals are said to be so encircled with their 

 nest, as sometimes to resemble balls of dried leaves. 

 When taken out, and placed at a little distance 

 from the fire, they soon recover from their tor- 

 pidity. It is supposed that they do not lay up any 

 store of food for the winter, like some other 

 quadrupeds, but that they sleep during the whole 

 time of their retirement. 



That these animals may be rendered tame and do- 

 cile, there are innumerable proofs. With the Calmuc 

 Tartars they are held in great esteem, being kept in 

 their huts, instead of Cats, for the purpose of driv- 

 ing away vermin. Their smell, however, is in 

 general so disgusting and powerful, as in habitable 

 apartments oftentimes to be found exceedingly 

 unpleasant. 



In the month of June, 1781, four young hedge- 

 hogs, with their mother, were brought to M. de 

 Buffon. From their quills being perfectly formed, 

 he considered them as some weeks old. He put them 

 into a large wire cage, where he had previously 

 formed for them a bed of leaves. For the first two 

 days the only food he gave them was some pieces of 

 boiled beef, of which they sucked the juicy parts, 

 but in other respects left the meat entire. On the 

 third day he put into their cage several kinds of 

 plants, such as groundsel, bindweed, &c. but they 

 did not touch any of them. Notwithstanding this 

 apparently slender nouiishment, the mother did 

 not seem at all weakened, and often gave suck to 



the 



