180 CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



[Pliny's account, which is in many things fanciful and fabulous/ 

 runs thus. — Editor.] 



u Hedge-hogs also make their provision before-hand of meat for winter, in this wise. 

 They wallow and roll themselves upon apples and such fruit lying under foot, and so 

 catch them up with their prickles, and one more besides they take in their mouth, and 

 so carry them into hollow trees. By stopping one or other of their holes, men know 

 when the wind turneth, and is changed from north to south. When they perceive one 

 hunting of them, they draw*their mouth and feel close together, with all their belly part, 

 where the skin hath a thin downe and no pricks at all to do harme, and so roll them- 

 selves as round as a foot-ball, that neither dog nor man can come by any thing but 

 their sharpe-pointed prickles. So soon as they see themselves past all hope to escape, 

 they let their water go, and pisse upon themselves. Now this urine of theirs hath a 

 poisonous qualitie to rot their skin and prickles, for which they know well enough that 

 they be chased and taken. And, therefore it is a secret and speciall policie, not to hunt 

 them before they have let their urine go ; and then their skin is very good, for which 

 chiefly they are hunted ; otherwise it is nought ever after, and so rotten, that it will 

 not hang together, but fall to pieces : all the pricks shed off, as being putrified, yea 

 although they should escape away from the dogs and live still : and this is the cause 

 that they never bepisse and drench themselves with this pestilent excrement, but in ex- 

 tremitie and utter despaire ; for they cannot abide themselves their own urine, of so 

 venomous a qualitie it is, and so hurtfull to their own body ; and do what they can 

 to spare themselves, attending the utmost time of extremitie, insomuch as they are 

 ready to be taken before they do it. When the urchin is caught alive, the device to 

 make him open himselfe again in length, is to besprinkle him with hot water ; and then by 

 hanging at one of their hind feet, without meat, they die with famine, otherwise it is not 

 possible to kill them, and save their case or skin. There be writers who bash not to 

 say, that this kinde of beast, (were not those pricks,) is good for nothing, and may 

 well be missed of men : and that the soft fleece of wooll that sheepe bear, but for these 

 prickes, were superfluous, and to no purpose bestowed upon mankind ; for which the 

 rough skin of these urchins, are brushes and rubbers made to brush and make cleane 

 our garments. And in very truth, many have gotten great gain and profit by this 

 commoditie and merchandise, and namely, with their crafty device of monopolies, that 

 all might passe through their hands only ; notwithstanding there hath not bin anyone 

 disorder more repressed and reformation sought by sundry edicts and acts of the senate 

 in that behalf : every prince hath been continually troubled hereabout with grievous 

 complaints out of all provinces." 



Eggs of a spider attacked by a parasite. — The preceding 

 figure represents a deposition of eggs, which I found attached to the 



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