The hedge-hog (_fig. 80._) possesses the power to defend itself without
fighting, and to annoy without attacking. Having little strength
and no agility to escape his foes, he has received from Nature a
prickly armour, with the power of rolling himself up like a ball, and
presenting from every part of his body a poignant weapon of defence.
His fears prove an additional security, for the smell of his urine,
which they make him throw out when attacked, and which he scatters over
his whole body, always proves sufficient to disgust his enemy. Thus
dogs content themselves with barking at the hedge-hog, and never shew
an inclination to seize it. The fox, however, has the address to master
it, by contriving to wound its feet, from which the blood runs into its
mouth, but from the weasel, marten, polecat, ferret, or birds of prey,
it has nothing to dread.
The females, as well as males, are covered with prickles from the head
to the tail, and the under parts of their bodies only are covered with
hair; wherefore these arms, so useful to them against their enemies,
are highly inconvenient in their amours, as they cannot unite, like
other quadrupeds, but face to face, either upright or lying. They come
in season in spring, and bring forth at the beginning of summer. I have
frequently had the mother and her young brought me in the month of
June; their litters generally consist of from three to five; they are
white at first, and only the marks of their prickles appear. Desirous
to rear some of them, I put a dam and her little family into a tub,
with plenty of meat, bread, bran, and fruit, but, instead of suckling,
she devoured them one after another. I was surprised that so indolent
an animal should discover such marks of impatience at confinement. A
hedge-hog which had one day got into the kitchen, took some meat out of
a small kettle, and then defiled it with its excrement. I kept males
and females in the same apartments, but though they lived they never
coupled. I put several of them in my garden, where they did so little
damage that it was hardly perceivable they were there; they lived
upon the fallen fruits, and dug the earth to a small depth with their
snouts; they eat caterpillars, worms, beetles, and some roots; and they
are also very fond of flesh, which they devour either raw or roasted.
In the country they are commonly found in the woods, under the trunks
of old trees, in the clefts of rocks, and in vineyards. I do not
believe they climb trees, as has been asserted, or make use of their
prickles to carry off the fruit; they seize with the mouth every thing
they eat, and though they are very numerous in our forests, I never
heard of one being seen upon a tree, but are always found in hollow
places, or under moss. They remain inactive all day, and only go about
during the night. They seldom approach human habitations; they prefer
dry and elevated grounds, yet are sometimes found in meadows. When
touched they do not offer to escape or defend themselves, either with
their feet or teeth; but roll themselves up, and are only to be made to
extend by plunging them into cold water; they sleep during the winter,
and therefore if, as it is said, they amass provisions in summer, they
would be entirely useless. They at no time eat much, and can exist a
long time without any food. Like all other animals who sleep in winter,
their blood is cold; their flesh is not good to eat, nor is their skin,
though it was formerly employed in the preparation of hemp, converted
to any use.
According to some authors there are two species of the hedge-hog, one
with a snout like a hog, and the other with a short muzzle like a
dog; but I know of but one, and of which there are even no varieties
in our climates. This animal is pretty generally diffused; they are
in every part of Europe, except Lapland, Norway, and the other very
cold countries. Flacourt says there are hedge-hogs at Madagascar,
where they are called Sora. The hedge-hog of Siam, mentioned by Father
Tachard, seems to be another animal. Those of America and Siberia
evidently approach the nearest to our common hedge-hogs, and lastly,
the hedge-hog of Malacca seems to be more of the porcupine than the
hedge-hog.