48 COMMON BRITISH ANIMALS 



but on tlio Avliole the badger is a harmless animal, 

 and really useful to the farmer, not to speak of the 

 great interest attached to him by reason of his 

 ancient lineage and his quaint form and habits. 



On the authority of Sir Richard Owen, Brock is 

 the oldest known species of mammal now living on 

 the face of the earth. This fact makes him of 

 supreme interest, and we can find no reason to 

 destroy him, but every reason to protect him. Very 

 little trouble is needed to guard against any slight 

 depredations he may commit. The young are born 

 blind in the month of March, and there are generally 

 three or four in a litter. The badger is a very good 

 mother, attending very carefully both to the toilet 

 and education of her children, keeping them strictly 

 within sight of the set until they are old enough and 

 strong enough to defend themselves. Mr. Millais 

 says that he has watched the mother badger ^' take 

 each cub in turn and thoroughly overhaul its coat 

 for parasites. Grooming each in turn with champ- 

 ing jaws she turned them over and over with her 

 nose till every part of her offspring had been success- 

 fully explored, and thus relieved them of the annoying 

 pests which at that age they seem unable to destroy.^^ 

 All mammals except seals and whales are subject to 

 parasites of some kind. The parasite peculiar to the 

 badger is a kind of flea {Trichodictes) , which Miss Lort 

 found behind the ears of her pet badger " Sally," and 

 much relieved the irritation and discomfort by the 

 application of vinegar and water. 



Mr. T, Dening White,^ speaking of the discipline 



* ' Badminton Magazine/ July, 1903. 



