The Badger 



A Badger once seen, its very outline and colouring 

 unmistakably denote its species. Over the back it is 

 pale grizzly, with black underparts, while a broad black 

 streak passes across the ear and eye. The ears are 

 short, the muzzle pointed, skull somewhat ridged, 

 and the under-jaw very firmly locked into the socket. 

 This rather singular formation of the creature's lower 

 jaw doubtless accounts for what at one time lent zest 

 to Badger-baiting. The animal's jaw, once it fixes 

 upon an object, almost defies dislocation, and conse- 

 quently it took an extremely game terrier to face and 

 tackle the animal thus armed and underground. 



The Badger rears three or four young at a time, and 

 these are usually nestled amongst an accumulation of 

 grasses and dead leaves. The burrow is roomy and 

 kept scrupulously clean, and is generally approached 

 by several subways. The animal hibernates for some 

 months when the ground is ice-bound and the succu- 

 lent vegetation lies sear and damp by the wayside. 



Something must now be said about Otters, those 

 pirates of the streams abhorred by all followers of 

 Izaak Walton. The presence of these quadrupeds 

 about a stretch of water is credited with being the 

 cause of the otherwise inexplicable movements of 

 fish. There is no reason for doubting that Otters 

 disturb angling waters. The animal hunts and eats 

 fish, and this fact alone must act in a measure 

 against the quiet peacefulness that fish love so well. 



B.^.M. 41 6 



