ANIMALS WITH ARMOUR 103 



harmful the Hedgehog may be in a district where game-preserving 

 is indulged in, but it is most essential in considering the good or 

 bad deeds of a wild animal that the whole, and not a part, should 

 be taken into account. 



What, then, does the Hedgehog feed upon in addition to the 

 eggs of Partridge and Pheasant, and does it perform any good in 

 preserving the balance of Nature ? It attacks young wild birds, 

 has been accused (and I believe not without good reason) of making 

 raid upon the inmates of a fowl-house ; it partakes of various kinds 

 of insects as well as snails, slugs, toads, frogs, earthworms, etc. 



Thus, it will be seen that the despised Hedgepig is not alto- 

 gether harmful, indeed, putting game-preservation aside as a sport 

 which affords pleasure to a very small percentage of our population, 

 it may be stated that the animal has its uses and probably does 

 more good than harm. Many people condemn the Jay and Magpie 

 because of their pilferings among eggs and young birds, but it 

 is important to recognize that a check of some kind is most essential, 

 and if these natural balance keepers did not exist, certain species 

 of animals would unduly increase over the normal, with results 

 which in some instances would prove disastrous to agriculturists 

 and others. 



A note upon the subject of the value of animals of prey in the 

 Field may be quoted. "It is generally admitted," says the Yield, 

 "as an abstract proposition, that predaceous animals perform an 

 important function in the economy of Nature by preventing undue 

 increase of the hordes that feed on herbage, seeds, fruits, and other 

 vegetable life. But often when it comes to particular cases man 

 looks askance at every mammal or bird that molests his poultry or 

 game. The recent report of Mr. A. K. Fisher, the officer of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, who is in charge of the 

 economic investigations, deals with this subject at some length. 

 In his opinion, most of the predatory mammals of the United States 

 confer great benefits on the agriculturist by keeping down the 

 number of rodents. Thus in the fruit-growing districts of the West 

 Prairie Wolves and Lynxes have freed ranches and fruit farms from 

 Rabbits and other crop or tree destroyers, and at times the Prairie 

 Wolf feeds entirely on large insects, such as May beetles closely 

 allied to the cockchafer, and equally destructive crickets and 

 grasshoppers. He has a good word to say for the Mink, the 

 Weasel, the Skunk, the Badger, and the Raccoon, and considers 



