108 ERINACEADJJ. 



often scratched out and eaten in the summer months 

 when concealed in the day in crevices, or amongst the 

 roots of grass or other close herbage. 



That the Hedgehog, therefore, is no less an animal- 

 feeder in fact, than related to the insectivorous group by 

 its zoological characters, is thus sufficiently proved ; but, 

 as in many other cases, it is not so exclusively restricted 

 to one description of food, as to be at all inconvenienced 

 when obliged by circumstances to resort to a different 

 one. Thus it will not only feed readily on soaked bread 

 or dressed vegetables when in a state of confinement, but 

 in a more natural and free condition, it is said, when 

 turning up the ground, probably in search of worms, to 

 eat the roots of grass or other plants ; and in a garden 

 to eat the ripe fruit which falls from the trees. " The 

 manner in which they eat the roots of the plantain in my 

 garden," says White, "is very curious : with their upper 

 mandible, which is much longer than their lower, they 

 bore under the plant, and so eat the root off upwards, 

 leaving the tuft of leaves untouched." 



There is an ancient prejudice still prevailing amongst 

 the common people throughout this country, that it 

 sucks the cows during the night, thus disappointing the 

 milkmaid of the expected repletion of her morning pail. 

 This, however, is about as well-founded an accusation as 

 that of Pliny, exaggerated as it is by Sperling, who as- 

 sures us that it ascends trees, knocks off the apples and 

 pears, and throwing itself down upon them that they 

 may stick to its spines, trots off with the prize ! ^Elian 

 gives us the same story, substituting figs for apples, and 

 omitting the climbing power of the animal.* 



* It is fair to state, that there occurs in the Zoologist for 1853, p. 4151, a 

 circumstantial account of two Hedgehogs having been detected sucking a 

 Cow, and retaining their hold with such tenacity, that they remained sus- 



