AMERICAN EDITOR. 297 



accidentally closed at an earlier hour than usual, and the 

 poor creature so exhausted herself with fruitless anxiety, 

 and efforts to reach her little ones, that she died before 

 morning, and was found lying lifeless close to the gate. 



The flesh of the hedgehog is still oaten in some parts 

 of Europe ; it is roasted or baked in pies. In olden times 

 not only the spines of this animal were used medicinally, 

 but wise practitioners declared that " oil in which ono of 

 its eyes has been fried, if kept in a brass vessel, will en- 

 dow the human eye with the faculty of seeing as well by 

 night, as in the day." 



NOTE S. 

 THE SHREW, page 104. 



These little creatures, resembling mice in their general 

 appearance, are yet entirely distinct from them, as the 

 cat is well aware, if many human beings are not. Puss 

 has never been known to eat a shrew. In Europe these 

 singular little animals are very common in the fields, and 

 about old walls, heaps of stone, &c. They feed on insects, 

 worms, &c., while the true mice are not insectivorous, but 



are classed with the rodent order. 







NOTE T. 



THE MOLE, (talpa Europea) p. 104. 



This animal, so vory common in most countries of Eu 

 rope, is said to have no existence in America. It is at 

 least still a subject of dispute among naturalists whether 

 the true mole of Europe bo found on this continent or 

 not. 



This ci'eaturO, with whoso name, at least, wo are all 

 familial', has been supposed to bo blind ; but the notion 



