THE STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 



377 



they possess of rolling themselves up into a ball-like form, presenting an array 

 of spines, impenetrable to the great majority of other animals. This rolling- 

 up process is effected by the aid of an extraordinary development of a layer 

 O'f muscles foimd beneath the skin. When rolled up, the head and feet are 

 tucked inwards, so that only the spines are exposed ; and it requires a boM 

 dog or fox to attack a hedgehog when in this condition. Under the micro- 

 scope the spine is seen toi be marked by a number of parallel grooves. 



Hedgehogs are represented by five distinct varieties in India. It is re- 

 markable that while one of these hedgehogs is found in Madras, nO' repre- 



EUROPEAN HEDGEHOGS. 



sentative is recorded from the Central Provinces and Bengal, the other species 

 not occurring till we reach the North- West Provinces, the Punjab, etc. But 

 little is known of the habits of these Indian species, and nothing as to their 

 breeding; although it is probable that in both these respects they conform 

 closely to their European cousin. The long-eared Afghan hedgehog common 

 in the neighborhood of Kandahar and Ouetta, hibernates, but the species from 

 the Punjab and Southern India are active at all seasons of the year, thus 

 showing how absolutely dependent is the habit of hibernation upon climate. 

 iXhe collared hedgehog found in the plains of North- Western India, inhabits 



