1000 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



of some 20,000. To-day tlieir numbers are much reduced by 

 trai)ping, poison, and the destruction of Ground-squirrels, 

 their food supply, as well as by the disturbance of ploughing 

 the land, for the Badger is a shy prairie animal, and is likely 

 to disappear when all the open country is under cultivation. 

 Professor John Macoun tells me that in 1906 Badgers were 

 yet so abundant on the prairie around White Shore Lake, 40 

 miles south of Battleford, Sask., that there seemed to be about 

 10 inhabited dens per square mile. 



SOCIAL So far as I have seen, the Badger is a solitary animal, 



MENT leading a somewhat sordid life, minding its own business, but 

 confining that business to the least elevating of pursuits. The 

 British Badger has the reputation of being remarkably sociable 

 and frolicsome. G. E. Blundell, of Bristol, tells me that in 

 England the native Badgers have a sport which he has often 

 observed. At sundown the members of the family repair by a 

 well-worn pathway, to a low trunk or stump, and there play 

 a sort of 'King of the Castle' game, each one trying to climb 

 up, or pull the others down. They indulge in this for an hour 

 at a time. It has no connection with the sex feelings, as old 

 and young take part as soon as the latter are strong enough. 

 The fact of there being a fixed place and apparatus is of 

 special interest, and ranks this amusement with the sliding 

 of the Otter. But, alas! I had seen nothing of such an 

 engaging habit in our own species, and regretted that though 

 such a fine animal, it was to be placed much lower on the 

 scale of development than its congener, and was glad in- 

 deed to find later from Paul Fontaine's account of the 

 Badger' that on bright moonlight nights he had often 

 watched them for hours gambolling and playing like dogs. 

 Thus, as in every case, the more we learn of the animal 

 the more claim it has on our sympathy and interest. To 

 the casual glance the wild animal is a fierce, elusive creature, 

 occupied chiefly with eating and running away. It is only 

 on getting gently nearer that we realize the other half of 



' Great Northwest, 1904, p. 40. 



