HOW THE HEDGEHOG KEEPS WINTER.
By Edmund Collins
The hedgehog, like the bear, does not need to provide against cold, storm, and snow, for at the beginning of winter he finds a hole in some patch of woods, or often in a garden, which he enters, rolling himself into a hard, prickly ball, remaining in this posture till spring. But the hedgehog is rather particular about his lodgings. He spends several days collecting very dry leaves, and builds an exceedingly cozy nest; and his quarters are so constructed that he is safe from rain, wind, and snow. The animal is said not to move during the winter, and the bands of muscles lying under his skin are as tense after four months as when he went into winter quarters. Few prowling animals care to attack the hedgehog should they find him in his retreat; his body is like a sphere of rubber, and he bristles with sharp, hard elastic spines, which get into the muscle of the attacking animal. Some bands of gypsies eat the hedgehog, and declare that his flesh is superior in flavor and nutrition to that of the rabbit.—Edmund Collins.