HEDGEHOGS. 39 



Hedgehogs feed on insects, slugs, frogs, eggs, young 

 birds in the nest, mice, fallen fruits, and the roots of 

 vegetables, especially the plantain, boring into the 

 ground to get at these substances. They will clear a 

 house of black beetles in a few weeks, as I can attest 

 from my own experience. My kitchen was much in- 

 fested, not only by them, but by a sort of degenerated 

 cockroach, descended from the better-conditioned Blatta?, 

 brought in my packages from a tropical country, and 

 which had resisted all efforts for their extermination, 

 such as boiling water, pepper, arsenic- wafers, mortar, 

 etc. At last, a friend, whose house had been cleared 

 of beetles by a hedgehog, made the animal over to me, 

 very much to the discomfort of my cook, to whom it 

 was an object of terror. The first night of its arrival, a 

 bed was made for it in a hamper half full of hay, and a 

 saucer of milk was set within. The next morning the 

 hedgehog had disappeared, and for several days the 

 search made for it was fruitless. That it was alive was 

 proved by the milk being drunk out of the saucer In 

 which it was placed. One night I purposely went into 

 the kitchen after the family had been for some time in 

 bed, and as I opened the door, I saw the little creature 

 slink into a hole under the oven attached to the grate. 

 Fearing this would sometimes prove too hot for it, I had 

 some bricks put in to fill up the aperture. The next 

 night the bricks were pulled away, and overturned, 

 evincing a degree of strength which astonished us ; but 

 after that we left the animal to its own care. The 

 beetles and cockroaches visibly disappeared; but as they 

 disappeared, other things also vanished : kitchen cloths 

 left to dry at night were missing ; then, a ailk handker- 

 chief. At last a night-cap left on the dresser was gone; 



