QUILLS IN A TYRE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1929, Page 8

QUILLS IN A TYRE

Seeing at; animal which he thought to be a rat crossing the concrete road near the Western Springs, Auckland, a Point Chevalier motorist swerved enthusiastically in an effort to run over it. He partly succeeded in his effort, and on stopping his car was chagrined to find a tyre full of quills and, a hedgehog neatly curled up. As the animal did not appear to be seriously hurt, he took it home, treated it kindly, and this morning he was on his way to the Zoo to offer a very lively hedgehog as a gift. In some parts of New Zealand hedgehogs arc quite plentiful, and for obvious reasons motorists give tlienii a wide berth. They make good domestic pets, but have no sense of locality, and penchant for wandering makes continuous possession of them a very difficult thing. A Devon port lady caught a small hedgehog some time ago, and lias succeeded in domesticating it to such an extent that it comes to the door at night for its saucer of milk, and even submits to the ordeal of the bath. Tt spends the daylight hours in the garden, where it is believed to destroy slugs and insects.