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leathery skin— forms not only a solid shield to protect it from the effects of blows
or falls, but a shirt of prickly mail sufficiently sharp and annoying to deter all
but a few thoroughbred dogs ’ (or a half-starved fox) ‘ from venturing to attack it.'
Its power of rolling itself up into a compact ball and presenting to its attacker
a bristling chevaux-de-frise is effected by means of a broad series of muscles
found beneath the skin of most mammals, and known as panniculus camosus.
As soon as a Hedgehog observes a man and is surprised in the open, it will
stop and listen; then lower its head between its fore-legs and at the same time
erect its bristles. If the intruder passes by it soon assumes its normal position,
but if touched or attacked it at once rolls itself up into a compact ball which
becomes tighter and tighter in proportion to the amount of annoyance to which
it is subjected. Bell, whose account of the Hedgehog is admirable, goes on to
say: ‘ The strength and elasticity of this covering is such, that we have repeatedly
seen a domesticated Hedgehog run towards the precipitous wall of an area, and,
without hesitation, without a moment’s pause of preparation, throw itself off,
contracting at the same instant into a ball, in which condition it reached the
ground from a height of twelve or fourteen feet; after a few moments it would
unfold itself and run off unhurt.’
Endowed with such resources, it is a wonder that any enemy among the
carnivorous animals has the means, the aptitude, or the cunning to ‘ crack so
strange a crib ’ ; yet I have seen more than one high-couraged terrier, with
tongue, mouth, and lips torn and running with blood, persevere until it has
crushed its way in and killed its prey. It is not known how the fox manages to
open and kill the Hedgehog, which it certainly does at times, but, rendered desperate
by hunger, it probably achieves its aim, like the dog, by grand assault or
careful opening.1 The badger, too, often kills and eats the Hedgehog, but in this
case the task of opening must be an easy one; the badger’s fore-paws and claws
1 More than one observer has stated that the fox carries the Hedgehog to water, into which it rolls its prey until it
unfolds; but this is almost too clever and requires confirmation. The statement, too, that stoats and weasels have attacked
and killed Hedgehogs must also be accepted with reservation.
One writer has asserted that foxes roll Hedgehogs to the edge of a bank or cliff and then push them over, causing them
to open by the fall and concussion. For a curious description of this see ^Elian, lib. vi. cap. lxiv. By an odd circumstance,
on the very day on which I had written the above lines I came on a workman holding a Hedgehog in his handkerchief on a
road near Staines. A wire-haired terrier accompanied him and seemed much excited, so I concluded that he had some living
creature in his handkerchief. On addressing the man he told me that his terrier killed many Hedgehogs and said that he
would show me how it was done. I certainly expected to see the dog attack his quarry in a general fashion, but to my surprise
he did nothing of the sort, but by working away with the nails of his forepaws he at last made an entrance sufficiently large to
get one of his paws fixed against the chest of the Hedgehog, while with the other he drew up the head and forced it back.
Then he gave it one nip on the throat, and the tragedy was over. It is more than likely that foxes and badgers employ
the same method.
are formidable and strong. The cry of the dying Hedgehog when attacked by a
badger is said to be heartrending.
The Hedgehog is now nocturnal in its habits, but this may be largely due
to the necessities of latter-day existence. Not long ago the Hedgehog was most
likely a diurnal mammal, as the water shrew still is— a fact unknown to naturalists
who have not had the chance of observing animals in a wild state. In places
where Hedgehogs are little disturbed they are crepuscular, and will be seen coming
out to feed every evening just after sunset. There are two estates within a couple
of miles of my house at Horsham where in June and July I go nearly every
evening to stalk rabbits with a 22 rifle. While returning home about a quarter
to eight I invariably find one or more Hedgehogs out in the grass, commencing
their evening meal. As they are unmolested they will permit me to come close
to them, and I have lain down on the grass within a yard or so and closely watched
their method of feeding. Unless the Hedgehog has its back towards one, in
which case it is singularly unobservant, it will cease feeding when at a distance
of two or three yards, raise its head in alert attention for a second, and then drop
it slowly between its fore-paws, but without necessarily rolling up. If the observer
sits down and waits, he will notice that after a short period the muscles of the
back of the animal relax, and the head is slowly pushed forward into the normal
position, when snouting for food is slowly resumed. In the particular case of the
Hedgehogs mentioned above, I have often seen them stop and simply lower the
head, and then recommence their search for food at once. One particularly large
old male was always out and about the same place—a rough field close to a
tangled ‘ gill.’ I think he soon got to know me, as I have regularly stopped and
watched him for three seasons. I have often had him walk between my legs and
smell my boots after the first alarm. His food seemed to consist chiefly of beetles
and other insects, and black slugs, which he procured by slowly moving along snouting
in the grass. On this point Mr. Coward sends me the following note:
‘ In 1897 I came across a Hedgehog which was apparently eating or licking
the dung of fallow deer. I looked very carefully, but could not see any insects
upon the dung. I have since seen one grubbing round horse droppings in the road,
but in this case came to the conclusion that the animal was after beetles or larvae.
Hedgehogs do not appear to notice the presence of a man unless they are touched;
on several occasions I have surprised them in the herbage and they have continued
to feed when I was standing close .to them. Once I was listening to birds in
Dunham Park, standing in some bushes, and a Hedgehog actually came and smelt