250 THE HEDGEHOG OR URCHIN. 



large and small, and here black beetles of several 

 varieties are particularly abundant, hiding during 

 the heat of day under the shelter of the stones, 

 so that, crossing the sand-bed, one is certain to 

 send dozens of them scuttling in different direc- 

 tions. In running across the sand they leave the 

 familiar race-like tracks of their passage, and by 

 carefully following out one of these tracks one 

 can without much difficulty trace a beetle to its 

 hiding, though in most places the beetle-tracks are 

 so interlaced that tracking becomes impossible. 



From the signs left by hedgehogs it was clearly 

 evident that they hunted these beetles by scent, 

 running the trail of an individual beetle just as 

 a hound runs the trail of a fox. When fishing 

 at night-time I have seen as many as three hedge- 

 hogs hunting the sand-bed together, while others 

 could be heard not far distant in the darkness. 

 If, however, one trod out on to the gravel-stretch, 

 where a silent approach was impossible, every hedge- 

 hog would scuttle into the wood almost with the 

 alacrity of a rabbit. The hedgehog is, indeed, 

 more fleet of foot than is generally thought. If 

 one be surprised it merely twitches into a ball, 

 making no attempt at escape, but trusting to 

 its quills for defence; but if, on the other hand, 

 it hears the approach of danger in the distance, 

 and knows that there is time to flee, it will 

 make off quite speedily to some familiar cover. 

 Once in the dusk of evening I shot a hedgehog 

 in mistake for a rabbit ; it was working a hedge- 

 bottom, possibly in pursuit of mice, and was so 

 quick in its movements that much surprise was 

 occasioned by the discovery of the error. 



Allusion has been made in the chapter on 

 Badgers to the draining -gutters that border the 



