THE HEDGEHOG. 183 



" In the month of June, 1782," says a correspondent 

 in the Gentleman's Magazine, " a full-grown hedgehog 

 was put into a small yard, in which was a border of 

 shrubs and annuals. In the course of a few days he 

 formed, beneath a small holly-tree, a hole in the earth, 

 sufficiently large to receive his body. After a while, a 

 small shed was built for him in the corner of the yard, 

 and filled with straw j but the animal would not quit its 

 former situation until it was covered with a stone. He 

 then took possession of the shed, and every morning 

 carried leaves from a distant part of the border, to stop 

 its mouth. His principal food was raw meat and mice. 

 Of the latter he would eat six at a time, but never more ; 

 and, although these were thrown to him dead, he bit 

 them all in the neck before he began to eat any. He 

 would also eat snails with their shells, but would leave 

 anything for milk, which he lapped exceedingly slow. 

 To this, even if set six or eight yards distant from his 

 shed, he would almost always come out half an hour 

 before his usual time. If the person who usually fed 

 him neglected to do so, he would follow him along the 

 yard ; and, if the door was open, he would go into the 

 house. If meat was put near the mouth of his shed in 

 the day-time, he would sometimes pull it in, and eat it. 

 As the weather became colder, he carried more leaves 



