how pleasant to know a hedgehog

thanks wikimedia commons (PD:US)

The title is a goof on Edward Lear's "How pleasant to know Mr. Lear! / Who has written such volumes of stuff!..."  And this is a hedgehog by Mr. Lear, watercolor over a graphite drawing, from the 1830's.  You can find it in Houghton Library MS Typ 55.12 at Harvard University, if you'd like to go see it for reals.  Edward Lear, though known for rollicking nonsense verses, was a sensitive man who struggled with depression from very early on, and I'm betting that had a great deal to do with his fellow-feeling and enjoyment of animals.  His cat Foss was a soulmate, the subject of numerous sketches, and was buried with ceremony when he died.  I would have loved to meet Edward Lear.
Meanwhile, in case you ever wondered, here's how to responsibly pick up a hedgehog.