succeed in forcing open the poor Urchin, at the
expense of a bloody nose, and sorely pricked
paws; and immersion in water more readily produces the same effect.
The food of the Hedgehog is not confined to insects and worms: Mr. Jesse speaks of its eating frogs, and of its mousing like a cat; and Mr. Broderip has described an interesting experiment which proved that it feeds upon snakes. The Hedgehog unfolding itself suddenly, gave the snake a severe bite, and instantly rolled itself up again. Having by another bite, broken the back of the reptile, it passed the whole length of the body through its jaws, breaking the bones at each bite; having done which, it began to eat the snake from the tail upwards, "as one would eat a radish." It also eats vegetable food. White of Selborne affirms that it gnaws off the root of the plantain, boring under the plant, and leaving the tuft of leaves untouched. It also devours fruits; and in a state of domestication it is fed upon soaked bread or boiled vegetables. It is not unfrequently kept in kitchens, for its service in hunting and devouring cockroaches. Its activity is nocturnal; during the day it lies snugly housed in a hole at the root of some tree; where, too, in a warm nest of moss and dry leaves, which it has collected, it passes the winter months, coiled up in insensibility.
The young ones, which are frequently called Hedgepigs, are born blind; the points of the spines already project from the skin, but are yet soft and flexible. Some time elapses before they acquire the power of completely rolling themselves up. The female is a careful and attentive mother.
