268 THE HEDGEHOG OK URCHIN. 



may develop habits peculiar to itself. One hedge- 

 hog we had under observation spent a good deal 

 of its time rooting among the old dry cow-dung 

 dropped in a pasture, evidently for the grubs and 

 the beetles found within it. Evidences of the 

 creature's work were on every hand, though this 

 curious habit on the part of an individual seems 

 to stand out as exceptional. Others, as already 

 stated, doubtless take up egg-hunting as a pro- 

 fession, though not all are guilty of depredations 

 of this kind. One was known to enjoy for a 

 considerable time the warmth of a hen-roost 

 without misconducting itself in any way. 



FIGHTING AND VOCAL POWERS. 



Hedgehogs fight furiously with one another 

 sometimes, it is said, to the death. I have 

 watched them squabbling for the possession of a 

 frying-pan, but have never seen a couple in close 

 combat. 



They possess a fairly wide range of vocal powers. 

 When searching for food a hedgehog sniffs and 

 grunts in a most fearless manner as it walks 

 about ; and if in distress, it utters a wailing 

 sound not unlike the cry of a hare. It can 

 sometimes be made to utter this sound, when 

 rolled up, by turning it over and tickling its 

 hind-feet with a twig. Also, when several are 

 abroad together at night, they occasionally utter 

 a bleating call of peculiar cadence ; it appears to 

 be done partly as a challenge and partly as an 

 expostulation. 



Like all animals that are lovers of warmth, the 

 hedgehog entertains many guests, and I well 

 remember the horror that prevailed when this 

 discovery was made on a hedgehog being placed 



