ANIMALS. 353 



rather appears to be a very serviceable animal, in ridding our fields 

 of insects and worms, which are so prejudicial to vegetation. 



Mr Buffon, who kept these animals tame about his house, ac- 

 quits them of the reproach of being mischievous in the garden ; 

 but then he accuses them of tricks, of which, from the form and 

 habits of this animal, one would never be led to suspect them. 

 " I have often," says he, " had the female and her young 

 brought me about the beginning of June : they are generally 

 from three to five in number : they are white in the beginning, 

 and only the marks of their spines appear : I was willing to 

 rear some of them, and accordingly put the dam and her young 

 into a tub, with abundant provision beside them ; but the old 

 animal, instead of suckling her young, devoured them all 

 one after another. On another occasion, a hedgehog that 

 had made its way into the kitchen discovered a little pot 

 in which there was meat prepared for boiling ; the mischiev- 

 ous animal drew out the meat and left its excrements in the 

 stead. I kept males and females in the same apartment, where 

 they lived together but never coupled. I permitted several of 

 them to go about my garden ; they did very little damage, 

 and it was scarcely perceivable that they were there : they lived 

 upon the fruits that fell from the trees ; they dug the earth into 

 shallow holes ; they eat caterpillars, beetles and worms ; they 

 were also very fond of flesh, which they devoured boiled or 

 raw." 



They couple in spring, and bring forth about the beginning 

 of summer. They sleep during the winter, and what is said of 

 their laying up provisions for that season is consequently false. 

 They at no time eat much, and can remain very long without 

 any food whatsoever. Their blood is cold, like all other animals 

 that sleep during the winter. Their flesh is not good for food ; 

 and their skins are converted to scarcely any use except to muz- 

 zle calves to keep them from sucking. 



THE TANREC AND TENDRAC. 



The Tanrec and Tendrac are two little animals, described 

 by Mr Buff"on, of the hedgehog kind : but yet sufiiciently difl!'er- 

 ent from it to constitute a difltrent species. Like the hedge- 

 hog, they arc covered viith piickles, though mixed in a greater 



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