402 THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. 



they are also very fond of flesh-meat, either raw ov 

 roasted. They chiefly wander about by night, and 

 dining the day lie concealed in their holes. 



Naturalists have alleged that they enter gardens ; 

 where they mount trees, and descend with pears, 

 apples, or plums, stuck upon their bristles. This 

 however is a mistake : for, if kept in a garden, they 

 never attempt to climb trees; nor even to stick fallen 

 fruit upon their bristles, but Uy hold of their food 

 with tiie mouth. — They also are undeservedly re- 

 proached with sucking cattle and injuring their ud- 

 ders ; for the smallness of their mouths renders this 

 altogether impossible. 



Mr. White says, that the manner in which the 

 Hedgehogs eat the roots of the plantain in his grass- 

 walks is very curious. With their u])per jaw, which 

 is much longer than the lower, they bore under the 

 plant; and gnaw the root off upwards, leaving the 

 tuft of leaves untouched. In this respect they are 

 serviceable, as they destroy a very troublesome weed ; 

 but they in some measure deface the walks, by dig- 

 ging in them small round holes. 



The Hedgehog has a very uncommon method of 

 defending itself from the attacks of otiier animals. 

 Being possessed of very little strength or agility, he 

 neither attempts to fly from, nor to assail his enemies ; 

 but erects his bristles, and rolls himself up like a 

 ball, exposing no part of his body that is not covered 

 with these sharp weapons. He will not unfold him- 

 splf unless thrown into water ; and the more he is 

 frightened or harassed, the closer he shuts himself 

 pp. While in this state, most Dogs, instead of biting 



