8o NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



moment of parturition, but it is plain they soon harden ; for these 

 little pigs had such stiff prickles on their backs and sides ^as would 

 easily have fetched blood, had they not been handled with caution- 

 Their spines are quite white at this age ; and they have little hang- 

 ing ears, which I do not remember to be discernible in the old 

 ones. They can, in part, at this age draw their skin down over 

 their faces ; but are not able to contract themselves into a ball, as 

 they do, for the sake of defence, when full grown. The reason, I 

 suppose, is, because the curious muscle that enables the creature 

 to roll itself up in a ball was not then arrived at its full tone and 

 firmness. Hedgehogs make a deep and warm hybernaculum with 

 leaves and moss, in which they conceal themselves for the winter : 

 but I never could find that they stored in any winter provision, as 

 some quadrupeds certainly do. 



I have discovered an anecdote with respect to the fieldfare (turdus 

 pilaris)) which I think is particular enough ; this bird, though it 

 sits on trees in the daytime, and procures the greatest part of its 

 food from white-tlforn hedges ; yea, moreover, builds on very high 

 trees, as may be seen by the fauna suecica; yet always appears with 

 us to roost on the ground.* They are seen to come in flocks just 

 before it is dark, and to settle and nestle among the heath on our 

 forest. And besides, the larkers in dragging their nets by night 

 frequently catch them in the wheat stubbles ; while the bat-fowlers, 

 who take many redwings in the hedges, never entangle any of this 

 species. Why these birds, in the matter of roosting, should differ 

 from all their congeners, and from themselves also with respect to 

 their proceedings by day, is a fact for which I am by no means able 

 to account. 



I have somewhat to inform you of concerning the moose-deer ; 

 but in general foreign animals fall seldom in my way ; my little 

 intelligence is confined to the narrow sphere of my own observa- 

 tions at home. 



* See also Letter XXVI. They generally sleep on the ground, but sometimes also in 

 low pine trees, or evergreen bushes. 



