92 
NATVBAL HISTORY 
they drop upon tlie turf, that beetles are no inconsiderable 
part of tbeir food. In June last I procured a litter of four 
or five young bedgeliogs, whicli appeared to be about five or 
six days old ; they, I find, like puppies, are born blind, and 
could not see when they came to my hands. "No doubt their 
spines are soft and flexible at the time of their birth, or 
else the poor dam would have but a bad time of it in the 
critical moment of parturition : but it is plain that they 
soon harden ; for these little pigs had 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 discernible 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. Hedgehogs make a 
deep and warm hybernaculum with leaves and moss, in which 
they conceal themselves for the winter ; but I never could 
find that they stored in any winter provision, as some qua- 
drupeds certainly do, 
I have discovered an anecdote with respect to the field- 
fare [Turdus pilaris) J which I think is particular enough: 
this bird, though it sits on trees in the daytime, and pro- 
cures the greatest part of its food from whitethorn hedges; 
yea, moreover, builds on very high trees, as may be seen by 
the Fauna 8uecica ; 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, 
so round and smooth that I said directly to myself, ' 'tis the burrow of 
a night-eating caterpillar.' I got a trowel and in a triee the fellow was 
unearthed; and he afterwards turned to a 'ghost moth' or ' yeUow 
underwing,' I cannot say which, for both came out in one cage." — ^Ed- 
