Gipsies and Hedgehogs. 171 



why naturalists should stultify themselves by an over 

 laudation of nature, telling her to her teeth she does 

 that which certainly she does not ? 



GIPSIES AND HEDGEHOGS. 



Around here we have both of these curious creatures 

 in abundance : the biped attracted by the Forest of Dean 

 and other Wyeside woods, where he is permitted free 

 tenting- ground; the quadruped finding in the dry tus- 

 socky outskirts and underwood a habitat to its taste. 

 Mention of the one almost invariably suggests thought 

 of the other. For who has not heard of the gipsy's fond- 

 ness for the urchin's flesh, and his original mode of cook- 

 ing it a bake in a ball of clay ? But I have reason to 

 doubt the correctness of what has been said about this 

 culinary process. It is certainly not practised by any of 

 the fraternity around here indeed, not known to them. 

 All with whom I have come in contact tell me that their 

 mode of cooking the hedgehog is simply by roasting it on 

 a stick, or other spit, over their ordinary " faggot fire," 

 having first removed the skin and " offal " ; the which, so 

 far as this neighbourhood is concerned, does away with 

 the pretty story of baking in a ball of clay. 



There is no question, however, as to their partiality for 

 the animal's flesh. Gipsies, young and old, zrefriand of 

 the same, speak of it as a bon-bouche, and take much 

 pains to procure it. In its capture they display wonder- 

 ful skill and sagacity. Where an ordinary individual can 

 perceive neither trace nor sign of hedgehog presence a 

 gipsy will sight the creature's " spoor/' and follow it up 



