516 MAMMALIA. 



plunging it in -water. It has then to assume its normal state, m 

 order to save itself from drowning. Otherwise it does not expe- 

 rience any embarrassment in the water, and without hesitation 

 enters it when any pressing danger demands such a course. It 

 even can remain below the surface for several minutes without 

 suffering — a circumstance which is all the more remarkable, 

 inasmuch as with neaily all the warm-blooded animals immersion 

 produces asphyxia after a short period. 



Another singular peculiarity in the life of this creature (pointed 

 out in the last century by the celebrated naturalist, Pallas) is, that 

 the Hedgehog can eat hundreds of Cantharides Flies without being 

 put to the slightest inconvenience ; while Man and the majority 

 of carnivorous animals cannot eat two or three of these insects 

 without experiencing poisonous effects. 



This discovery of Pallas has led to a German naturalist, Lentz, 

 finding out that the Hedgehog is impervious to the effects of viper 

 poison. 



Lentz introduced a Viper into a box containing a female Hedge- 

 hog and her young. The Viper, which was a large and vigorous 

 one, rolled itself up as if unconscious of danger. However, the 

 mother slowlj^ approached, smelled the Viper, and immediately 

 withdrew, showing lier teeth. As she drew near another time 

 without any precaution, she was bitten in the nose, and a drop of 

 blood escaped ; sho again retired, licked her wound, but soon 

 returned to the charge. She received a second bite on the tongue ; 

 but without being in the least intimidated, she seized the Serpent 

 by the body. The two adversaries now became furious ; the 

 Hedgehog growled, and shook its foe ; the Viper, on the contrary, 

 struck blow after blow with its fangs. Suddenly the Hedgehog 

 seized its adversary by the head, crushed it, and afterwards 

 devoured, without any other symptom of emotion, the anterior 

 half of the reptile, then quietly returned to its young to suckle 

 them. Next day it consumed the remainder of the Viper. 



This experiment was repeated several times ; and always with 

 the same result ; neither the Hedgehog nor her youno- were ill 

 from the results. 



A medical journal, the Courrier des FamiUes, which quotes this 

 fact, after a lecture hy IM. Vogt, adds : — 



" It is therefore not wise to kill the Hedgehogs, especially in 



