20G ANIMALS OF THE 



the instant it perceives an enemy, it puts itself 

 into a posture of defence, and keeps upon its 

 guard until it supposes the danger over. On 

 such occasions, it immediately alters its whole 

 appearance : from its usual form, somewhat re- 

 sembling a small animal with a bunch on its 

 back, the animal begins to bend its back, to lay 

 its head upon its breast, to shut its eyes, to roll 

 down the skin of its sides towards the legs, to 

 draw these up, and, lastly, to tuck them in on 

 every side, by drawing the skin still closer. In 

 this form, which the hedgehog always puts on 

 when disturbed, it no way resembles an animal, 

 but rather a roundish mass of prickles impervious 

 on every side. The shape of the animal thus 

 rolled up, somewhat resembles a chesnut in the 

 husk ; there being, on one side, a kind of flat 

 space, which is that on which the head and legs 

 have been tucked in. 



Such is the usual appearance of the hedgehog 

 upon the approach of any danger. Thus rolled 

 up in a lump, it patiently waits till its enemy 

 passes by, or is fatigued with fruitless attempts to 

 annoy it. The cat, the weasel, the ferret, and 

 the martin, quickly decline the combat ; and the 

 dog himself generally spends his time in empty 

 menaces, rather than in effectual efforts. Every 

 increase of danger only increases the animal's 

 precautions to keep on its guard ; its assailant 

 vainly attempts to bite, since he thus more fre- 

 quently feels than inflicts a wound; he stands 

 enraged and barking, and rolls it along with his 

 paws ; still, however, the hedgehog patiently sub- 



