378 
THE STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 
sandy country, hiding in holes beneath thorny bushes or in tufts of grass 
during the day, feeding chiefly on insects, especially a species of Blaps, and 
also on lizards and snails. It makes a grunting noise when irritated, and 
when touched suddenly jerks up its back so as to> throw its spines forward, 
'{making at the same time a sound like a puff from a pair of bellows. The 
Afghan hedgehog feeds on the slugs and snails so common in the fields around 
Kandahar, as well as worms, insects and lizards. It hides during the day in 
holes; and hibernates from! the end of October or beginning of November till 
February. 
Young hedgehogs are pretty little creatures. The mother generally pro¬ 
duces from four to six at a birth. In color, they are, at first, a rose-white. 
When they get to* be the size of a hen’s egg, their prickles are well developed. 
The mother nurses them for a short time only, and then leaves them to' shift 
for themselves, which they are well able to do. 
Hedgehogs are particularly fond of cockroaches, and people in England 
often keep them in the kitchen to destroy these pests. 
I once saw a hedgehog roll itself into* a ball and drop a distance of four¬ 
teen feet into an area way without doing itself the least damage. This gives 
a very good idea of the strength of the prickles in its skin. 
