68 Quadrupeds. 



wards, though he continued to eat till the day before he died. The specimen was a 

 male, and apparently adult." — p. 64. 



Among the insectivorous quadrupeds we have no additions : they 

 are the hedgehog [Erinaceus europcBus), the mole {Talpa eiiropcea), 

 the common shrew mouse [Sorex tetragonnrus), the water shrew (^S*. 

 fodiens), and the oared shrew (^S*. remifer). 



As an illustration of the food occasionally eaten by the hedgehog, 

 Mr. Bell quotes the account related by Mr. Broderip, in the first vo- 

 lume of the * Zoological Journal,' of Professor Bucliland's hedgehog 

 and the snake. 



" ' Having occasion to suspect that hedgehogs, occasionally at least, preyed on 

 snakes, the Professor procured a common snake, and also a hedgehog, and put them 

 into a box together. Whether or not the former recognised its enemy was not appa- 

 rent; it did not dart from the hedgehog, but kept creeping gently round the box; the 

 hedgehog was rolled up, and did not appear to see the snake. The Professor then laid 

 the hedge-hog on the snake, with that part of the ball where the head and tail meet 

 downwards, and touching it. The snake proceeded to crawl — the hedgehog started, 

 opened slightly, and seeing what was under it, gave the snake a hard bite, and in- 

 stantly rolled itself up again. It soon opened a second, and again a third time, re- 

 peating the bite ; and by the third bite the back of the snake was broken. This done, 

 the hedgehog stood by the snake's side, and passed the whole body of the snake suc- 

 cessively through its jaws, cracking it, and breaking the bones at intervals of half an 

 inch or more ; by which operation the snake was rendered motionless. The hedgehog 

 then placed itself at the tip of the snake's tail, and began to eat upwards as one would 

 eat a radish, without intermission, but slowly, till half the snake was devoured. The 

 following morning the remaining half was also completely eaten up.'" — p. 78. 



Our author gives a long and veiy interesting history of the mole, 

 which appears to be an especial favourite with him : the authority 

 principally consulted is a work published in 1803, by a M. Cadet de 

 Vaux, detailing the researches of one Henri le Court, who retired 

 from a lucrative office under the reign of terror, and consoled himself 

 as well as he might for the loss of wealth and state, by studying the 

 habits of the mole ; and really the French moles of the era of Robes- 

 pierre, seem to have been decidedly in advance of the English moles 

 of the era of Victoria, as far as fortification, encampment and mining 

 are concerned, and even in speed, for the speed of a frightened French 

 mole, on the testimony of Geoffroy, was equal to that of a horse at 

 fidl trot. 



Of the bear tribe the badger [Meles taxus) is the only example. 



Of the Mustelidae or weasel tribe, we have the following examples. 

 The otter [Lutra vulgaris), the weasel [Mustela vulgaris), the stoat 

 (;!/. erminea), the polecat (M. putorius), the marten {M, foina) and 

 the pine marten (M. Maries), 



