98 
THE NATURAL HISTORY 
[LETT. 
would have but a bad time of it in the critical moment of par- 
turition : but it is plain that they soon harden ; for these little 
pigs have such stiff prickles on their backs and sides as would 
easily have fetched blood, had they not been handled with 
caution. Their spines are quite white at this age; and they 
have little hanging ears, which I do not remember to be dis- 
cernible in the old ones. They can, in part, at this age draw 
their skin down over their faces ; but are not able to contract 
themselves into a ball, as they do, for the sake of defence, 
when full grown. The reason, I suppose, is, because the curious 
muscle that enables the creature to roll itself up in a ball was 
not then arrived at its full tone and firmness. Hedge-hogs 
make a deep and warm hybernaculum with leaves and moss, 
kikldfark's eo(;. 
in which they conceal themselves for the winter: but I never 
could find that they stored in any winter provision, as some 
quadrupeds certainly do. 
I have discovered an anecdote with respect to the fieldfare 
{Turdus pilaris), which I think is particular enough : this bird, 
though it sits on trees in the day-time, and procures the greatest 
part of its food from whitethorn hedges ; yea, moreo^'er, builds 
on very high trees, as may be seen by the " Fauna Suecica," yet 
always appears with us to roost on the ground. They are seen 
to come in flocks just before it is dark, and to settle and nestle 
among the heath on our forest. And besides, the larkers, in 
dragging their nets by night, frequently catch them in the wheat 
stubbles ; while the bat-fowlers, who take many redwings in 
the hedges, never entangle any of this species. Why these birds, 
in the matter of roosting, should differ from all their congeners, 
