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THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



These sharp spines take some little time to grow, and a young 

 hedgehog, until it is several weeks old, has only soft quills, and 

 looks almost like a young bird. 



Sometimes a hedgehog uses its spines in a very curious way. 

 It seems to know how wonderfully elastic they are, and, if it should 

 come to a very steep bank, it simply curls itself into a ball, and 

 rolls down to the bottom. 



A hedgehog has been known to throw itself in this way from 



Hedgehog. (From a Photograph by Cherry Kearton) 



off a wall ten feet high, pick itself up at once, and trot away quite 

 unhurt. 



A hedgehog kept in a house used to climb upstairs, and then, 

 assuming the ball shape, roll itself down again, apparently for fun. 



Although the hedgehog belongs to the great group of the 

 Insect-eaters, and is the largest British specimen of that group, it 

 feeds on worms, snails, and even on small animals, as well as on 

 insects. At evening, as soon as the darkness has fallen, it sallies 

 out from its hiding-place, and begins to hunt for victims. 



Hedgehogs have very large appetites, and never seem to be 

 satisfied. A hedgehog kept as a pet would eat as many worms 

 or as much other food every night as would nearly fill a jam-pot. 



The hedgehog is said to kill snakes by biting them two or 



