Of Herinacio. cap. 63.
HErinacius is that same Cirogril∣lus, & is a little beast with prickes, and dwelleth in dens, and is lyke to the Irchin, but he is accounted more then he. Lib. 8. cap. 38. Plinius speaketh of him and sayth, that hée walloweth vppon ap∣ples, as the Irchin doeth, which sticke thereon his prickes, and he beareth them into hallownesse of trées. And beside the Apples that he beareth on his backe, al∣way he beareth one in his mouth: & when he is hunted, he cloaseth him rounde as a hall, for nothing should him touch for his pikes and prickes, and when he tru∣steth not to scape, then hée casteth from him pissing most venimous, & that pisse grieueth himselfe first, if it cōmeth in any wise on his back, or on his pricks, for by such moisture of that pisse, his back smar∣teth and grieueth, & also the prickes of his backe fall away. Therfore he know∣eth not, yt he is thereby the sooner taken, by the which hée casteth for to grieue other: Therefore there is a craft to hunt such a little beast, when his vrine is all spent and wasted, for then his backe is hurt or broken, and his pricks and pikes be loose and fall, and he may not flie, for be knoweth by the smell kindlye, in his vrine is strength of venim hid, & spareth therfore his vrine. For he doth not away nor sheddeth his venim, ere the last néede of taking cōpell him thereto. And though this beast be little, yet when he dreadeth he constraineth himselfe so fast, that vn∣neth he may be opened and streighted, sa∣uing the skinne. Therofore he is put in hot water, and so he openeth himselfe, as it were sodeinly, when hée seeleth the heate: And he is bounte and hanged vp by the hinder feete, and is so hanged and slayne with hunger, otherwise hée maye not be slaine in good manner, to haue good and profite of his féeble skinne, & though the little body of the beast be not full ne∣cessary to vse of mankinde, yet his skin yt is so picked is needfull to men, that if there were no pikes and pricks, softnesse of flesh in beasts were idle to mankinde. For with such a beasts skinnes, clothes be cleansed & picked. And it is said, that this beast Herinacius hath this property, that after yt he is charged with Grapes or with apples, if any apple or grape fall out of his pikes in any maner wise, then for indignation he throweth away of his backe all the other deale, and oft turneth agayne to the trée to charge him agayne with new charge.