of Selborne 69 



the plant, and so eat the root off upwards, leaving the tuft 

 of leaves untouched. In this respect they are serviceable, 

 as they destroy a very troublesome weed ; Init ihey deface 

 the walks in some measure by digging little round holes. 

 It appears, by the dung that they drop upon the turf, that 

 beetles are no inconsiderable part of their food. In June 

 last I procured a litter of four or five young hedge-hogs, 

 which appeared to be about five or six days old ; they, I 

 find, like puppies, are born blind, and could not see when 

 they came to my hands. No doubt their spines are soft 

 and flexible at the time of their birth, or else the poor dam 

 would have but a bad time of it in the critical moment 

 of parturition : but it is plain that 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 hanging 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 into a ball was not 

 then arrived at its full tone and firmness. Hedge-hogs 

 make a deep and warm hyheinaculum 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 field- 

 fare {furdus pilaris), which I think is particular enough : 

 this bird, though it sits on trees in the day-time, and 

 procures the greatest part of its food from white-thorn 

 hedges ; yea, moreover, builds on very high trees ; as may 

 be seen by Xh^famia 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 red- 

 wings in the hedges, never entangle any of this species. 



