times, till the back of the snake is broken in various places; they then
pass it through their jaws, cracking its bones at short intervals; after
which they eat it all up, beginning at the tail. The old legend, that
hedgehogs suck the udders of cows as they lie on the ground chewing the
cud is, of course, wholly without foundation. They retreat to holes in
trees, or in the earth where they make a bed of leaves, moss, etc., in
which they roll themselves, and these substances sticking to the spines
make them look like a bundle of vegetable matter. In this condition they
pass the winter, in a state of torpidity; but it should be mentioned,
that one which was tame, retained its activity the whole year. There are
instances of hedgehogs performing the office of turnspits in a kitchen;
and, from the facility with which they accommodate themselves to all
sorts of food, they are easily kept. They, however, when once accustomed
to animal diet, will attack young game; and one was detected in the
south of Scotland in the act of killing a leveret.

BEARS.

Among the Carnivora, or flesh-eating animals, Bears take the first
place; for their characters and habits link them in some degree with the
preceding order, the Insectivora. Both principally live on fruit,
grains, and insects, and only eat flesh from necessity, or some
peculiarity of life, such as confinement, or education.

The Carnivora are divided by naturalists into three tribes, the
characters for which are taken from their feet and manner of walking.
Bears rank among the Plantigrada, or those which put the whole of their
feet firmly upon the ground when they walk. They are occasionally
cunning and ferocious, but often evince good humour, and a great love of
fun. In their wild state they are solitary the greater part of their
lives; they climb trees with great facility, live in caverns, holes, and
hollow trees; and in cold countries, retire to some secluded spot during
the winter, where they remain concealed, and bring forth their young.
Some say they are torpid; but this cannot be, for the female bears come
from their retreats with cubs which have lived upon them, and it is not
likely, that they can have reared them and remained without food; they
are, however, often very lean and wasted, and the absorption of their
generally large portion of fat, contributes to their nourishment. The
story that they live by sucking their paws is, as may be supposed, a
fable; whe