124 THE MOLE. 



and hearing it enjoys in great perfection, and by that 

 means is enabled to escape its enemies, and discover its 

 food. 



As the mole very seldom comes above ground, it has 

 very few enemies l;o excite its fear ; and those which 

 it has the greatest reason to dread, it evades by re- 

 tiring to its ambushed abode. Their greatest calamity 

 is an inundation ; for whenever that happens, thou- 

 sands perish ; and were it not for destructions of this 

 nature, their numbers would be very injurious to the 

 land. The ingenuity with which this little animal 

 forms its habitation, is extremely curious to behold ; 

 and the female's apartment is ren.arkubiy commodious, 

 and peculiarly calculated to defend her young. 



CHAP. XIII. 



THE HEDGE-HOG, OR PRICKLY KIND. 



ANIMALS of the hedge-hog kind require but very 

 little accuracy to distinguish them from all others : 

 that hair which serves the generality of quadrupeds for 

 ornament and warmth, these creatures are, in great 

 measure, without, while its place is supplied by sharp 

 spines, or prickles, that serve for their defence ; and 

 this characteristic forms a more striking distinction 

 than any that can be taken from their teeth and 

 claws : instead, therefore, of classing the hedge-hog 

 with the mole, or the porcupine with the hare, as some 

 naturalists have done, merely because there was a 67- 

 milarity in their fore teeth, we shall prefer making them 

 a distinct race by themselves. 



The hedge-hog, though its appearance is very formi- 

 dable, is one of the most harmless animals in the world : 



