516 
MAMMALIA. 
plunging it in water. It has then to assume its normal state, in 
order to save itself from drowning. Otherwise it does not expe- 
rience any embarrassment in the water, and without hesitation 
enters it when any pressing danger demands such a course. It 
even can remain below the surface for several minutes without 
suffering — a circumstance which is all the more remarkable, 
inasmuch as with nearly all the warm-blooded animals immersion 
produces asphyxia after a short period. 
Another singular peculiarity in the life of this creature (pointed 
out in the last century by the celebrated naturalist, Pallas) is, that 
the Hedgehog can eat hundreds of Cantharides Plies without being 
put to the slightest inconvenience ; while Man and the majority . 
of carnivorous animals cannot eat two or three of these insects 
without experiencing poisonous effects. 
This discovery of Pallas has led to a German naturalist, Lentz, , 
finding out that the Hedgehog is impervious to the effects of viper 
poison. 
Lentz introduced a Yiper into a box containing a female Hedge- 
hog and her young. The Yiper, which was a large and vigorous 
one, rolled itself up as if unconscious of danger. However, the 
mother slowly approached, smelled the Yiper, and immediately 
withdrew, showing her teeth. As she drew near another time 
without any precaution, she was bitten in the nose, and a drop of 
blood escaped ; she again retired, licked her wound, but soon 
returned to the charge. She received a second bite on the tongue ; 
but without being in the least intimidated, she seized the Serpent 
by the body. The two adversaries now became furious ; the 
Hedgehog growled, and shook its foe ; the Yiper, on the contrary, 
struck blow after blow with its fangs. Suddenly the Hedgehog 
seized its adversary by the head, crushed it, and afterwards 
devoured, without any other symptom of emotion, the anterior 
half of the reptile, then quietly returned to its young to suckle 
them. JNext day it consumed the remainder of the Yiper. 
This experiment was repeated several times ; and always with i 
the same result ; neither the Hedgehog nor her young were ill 
from the results. 
A medical journal, the Courrier des Families , which quotes this 
fact, after a lecture by M. Yogt, adds : — 
“ It is therefore not wise to kill the Hedgehogs, especially in 
