264 THE HEDGEHOG. 



.along with the paws ; still, however, the Hedgehog patiently 

 submits to every indignity, but continues secure ; and still 

 more to disgust its enemy with the contest, sheds its urine, 

 the smell of which is alone sufficient to send him away. In 

 this manner the dog, after barking for some time, leaves the 

 Hedgehog where he found him, who, perceiving the danger 

 past, at length peeps out from its ball, and, if not interrupted, 

 creeps slowly to its retreat. 



The Hedgehog, like most other wild animals, sleeps by day 

 and ventures out by night. It generally resides in small 

 thickets, in hedges, or in ditches covered with bushes ; there 

 it makes a hole of about six or eight inches deep, and lies well 

 wrapped up, in moss, grass, or leaves. Its food is roots, fruits, 

 worms, and insects. It is also said to suck cattle, and hurt 

 their udders ; but the smallness of its mouth will serve to 

 clear it from this reproach. It is said also^to be very hurtful 

 in gardens and orchards, where it will roll itself in a heap of 

 fruit, and so carry a large quantity away upon its prickles; 

 but this imputation is as ill grounded as the former, since the 

 spines are so disposed, that no fruit will stick upon them, even 

 if we should try to fix them on. It rather appears to be a 

 very serviceable animal, in ridding our fields of insects and 

 worms, which are so prejudicial to vegetation. 



Mr. Buffon, who kept these animals tame about his house, 

 acquits them of the reproach of being mischievous in the gar- 

 den, but then he accuses them of tricks, of which, from the 

 form and habits of this animal, one would be never led to 

 suspect them. " I have often," says he, " had the female and 

 her young brought me about the beginning of June : they 

 are generally from three to five in number : they are white 

 in the beginning, and only the marks of their spines appear : 

 I was willing to rear some of them, and accordingly put the 

 dam and her young into a tub, with abundant provision be- 

 side them ; but the old animal, instead of suckling her young, 

 devoured them all, one after another. On another occasion 

 an Hedgehog that had made its way into the kitchen, discov- 

 ered a little pot, in which there was meat prepared for boil- 



