46S SIBERIAN HEDGEHOG. 
and sleeps out the rigours of thgi season. It lg 
frequently found so completely encircled with 
herbage, that it resembles a ball of dried leaves ; 
but when taken out, and placed before a fire, 
it soon recovers from its state of torpidity. It 
produces four or five young ones at a birth ; which 
are soon covered with prickles, like those of the 
parent animal, but shorter and weaker. The nest 
formed for these is large, and is composed prin- 
cipally of moss. 
The hedgehog is occasionally an article of food, 
and is even said to be very delicate eating. The 
skin was used by the ancients for the purpose of a 
clothes-brush. 
This animal differs very materially from the 
porcupine, (which at first sight it seems much to 
resemble,) both in the stucture of its teeth, and i$ 
the shortness of its spines, or quills. 
Siberian hedgehog. 
This species, which is common from the Don to 
the Oby, is generally much inferior in size to the 
common kind ; but beyond the lake Baikal some 
are found much larger. 
They grow very fat ; sleep all the winter in a 
hole a few inches deep ; live on insects, even the 
most caustic ; and will eat above a hundred 
cantharides without any injury. They roll them- 
selves up, and have all the manners of the common 
kind. In the following particulars they differ 
from the former species ; their ears are large, opeq, 
and oval, with soft whitish hairs within ; the tail 
is shorter ; the spines are slender and brown, 
white at their roots and points ; and the limbs and 
belly are coverecj with a most elegant soft white 
fur. 
