ERINACEUS, the hedgehog, in na tural history, a genus of Mammalia, of the order Ferae. Generic character : two fore teeth, both above and below, those of the upper jaw distant, those of the lower ap proximated ; five tusks an each side of the upper jaw, three on each side of the lower ; four grinders on each side, both above and below ; body covered on the upper part with spines. There are six species.
E. Europxus, the common hedge-hog, is found in all the temperate climates of Europe and Asia. Its whole length is about eleven inches, its colour generally a grey brown. It lives in hedges and thickets, and subsists on young toads, worms, beetles, crabs, fruits, and birds. It conceals itself in its hole during the day, and by night wanders in search of food. It builds its nest of moss, and produces four or five young ones at a birth. These animals possess the curious, though not completely singular, property of rolling themselves into a compact form, like a ball, their spines only appearing, and presenting to the enemy an armed front, which he generally trembles to as sail. The greater the danger it is expos. ed to, the more closely it is compacted, and it is difficult to compel it from this state to its usual form without the appli cation of cold water, on being immersed in which it appears in its usual shape. It lies in this ball-like fbrm during the winter in its mossy nest, insensible to the extremity of the cold, and, on the ap proach of spring, resumes its nocturnal researches. It is perfectly harmless, and in some countries is said to be domes ticated, and in this state is employed by the Calmucks in their habitations to clear them from various annoying insects. It
possesses a considerable odour of musk. It is occasionally hunted by dogs, which, however, before they are disciplined to •;the pursuit, are not fond of encountering these animals, being deterred by their . horrid aspect, or wounding bristles. They soon, however, find their superiority, and after a little irritation from the spines of the animal, are exasperated to the full application of their teeth, which the hedge-hog is totally • unable to resist. Finding his globular form now cease to be [ 1 his effectual security, he unrolls himself, ' and falls an immediate victim to the dogs, who are generally urged on to the „sport by persons of far greater curiosity than sensibility. See Mammalia, Plate 'XII. fig. 1.
E. Mallaccensis, or the Malacca hedge hog, is about the size of the common por. cupine ; its ears are long and pendulous, and its spines, or rather quills, are stated to vary on different parts of the animal, from the length of an inch to a loot aria a half. It is remarkable for a concre tion in the gall-bladder about the size of a walnut, which is intensely bitter, and which, in the days of medical ignorance and superstition, was imagined to pos sess the highest virtue in cases of fever and other malignant diesases, and, when found entire, has been sold occasionally for more than two hundred pounds. These bezoars, however, are by no means peculiar to this animal. See Mammalia, Plate XII. fig. 2.