NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



it devours the helpless young, and thus aids con- 

 siderably in keeping these mice in check. 



From the human point of view the only harm 

 done by the Hedgehog is that it occasionally eats 

 the eggs and young of ground birds, but this is of 

 little consequence in comparison with the number 

 of rats, mice, venomous snakes and the hosts of 

 insect pests it destroys. It does no damage to 

 vegetation, but will occasionally nibble fallen fruits. 

 The Hedgehog is often captured by colonists and 

 tamed. However, in the majority of cases, owing 

 to ignorance of the kind of food it requires, it dies 

 after being in captivity for a few days. In this 

 way large numbers of these useful little animals are 

 killed. The native herd boy often does much 

 mischief by reason of his destructive propensities. 

 He is ever on the prowl, and no creature of veld, 

 forest or mountain is safe from him. Finding 

 the nest of a bird he marks the spot, and returning 

 at a time when the young are fat and well grown, 

 he wrings their necks, spits them on a stick, and 

 grills them over a fire of twigs. With the aid of a 

 mongrel dog, he scours the veld and easily finds 

 the innocent little Hedgehog in its lair. Dragging 

 it out he kills the creature, and removing its skin, 

 prepares it to suit his fancy, and wears it as a 

 trophy, making a meal of the flesh. Thus are 

 countless numbers of eminently useful birds and 

 animals destroyed, creatures whith are provided 

 by the Creator for maintaining the balance of 



22 



