210 Young Hedgehogs. 



head, and then tries a third time, with blood spots 

 round his mouth. Ever^y repulse embitters hiui — 

 his semi-whine expresses intense annoyance, and if 

 left alone there he would stay till covered with 

 blood. 



But the older dogs sometimes learn the trick : 

 they then roll the hedgehog over with a paw, touch- 

 ing it gently, so as not to run the spines in, till the 

 depression comes uppennost where the hedgehog has 

 tucked his head inwards. This is the only vulner- 

 able place, and with one desperate bite the dog 

 thrusts his teeth in there, seizes the nose, and then 

 has the hedgehog in his power. The young of the 

 hedgehog are amusing little things, and try to roll 

 themselves up in precisely the same manner ; but 

 they cannot close the aperture where they tuck 

 their heads in so completely. Though invisible 

 during the sunshine, hiding so carefully as to be 

 rarely found, when the dew begins to gather thickly 

 on the grass and the shades deepen the}' issue forth, 

 and if you remain quite still show no fear at all. 

 While waiting in a dry ditch I have often had a 

 hedgehog come rustling slightly along the bottom 

 till he reached my boot ; then he would go up the 

 ' shore ' of the ditch out among the grass hunting for 

 beetles and the creeping things which he likes most. 



In some places thej- are numerous ; one or two 

 other meadows on the farm beside the home-field are 

 favorite haunts of theirs, and five or six maj' be 

 found out feeding within a short distance. When 

 all is still they move rapidly through the grass — 

 quite a run ; much quicker than they appear capable 

 of moving. The plough lads, if they find one, carry 



