I 1 8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Phtto by C. Rlid] 



BADGER IN THE WATER 



Thes are nocturnal animals 



[trishaw, N.B. 



setshire farmer had 

 a pointer and sheep- 

 dog which were 

 adepts at this night 

 catching of badgers. 

 They would accom- 

 pany their master 

 along the roads, and 

 the pointer instantly 

 winded any badger 

 which had crossed. 

 Both dogs then 

 bounded off, and soon 

 their loud barking 

 showed that they had 

 found and "held up" 

 the badger. The dogs' 

 owner then came up. 

 picked the badger up 

 by its tail, and drop- 

 ped it in a sack. The 

 badger's "earth" is 



wonderfully deep and winding ; in it the badger sleeps during the winter, and gives birth to its 

 young, three or four of which are produced at a time. The end of March is the period of birth, 

 but the cubs do not come out until June. In October they are full-grown. The badger carries 

 in a great quantity of fern and grass as a bed for its cubs. Mr. Trevor-Battye writes : "I had a 

 pair which were probably about six weeks old. They were called Gripper and Nancy. They 

 would rest on my lap when feeding, and sit up and beg like dogs. Their hearing and power of 

 scent were remarkable. The badgers were in a closed yard; but if any of the dogs came near, 

 even following a path which ran at a distance of six or seven yards, they would instantly jump 

 off my lap and disappear into 

 a corner. The animals could 

 walk and trot backwards with 

 the greatest ease." I have 

 never seen this noticed else- 

 where, yet it is worth men- 

 tinning, because it is char- 

 acteristic of the Weasel 

 Family, not being shared, 

 to my knowledge, by any 

 Other mammal — not, for in- 

 stance, by the Bears. 



Mr. A. E. Pease says of 

 the badger: "It is easily 

 domesticated, and if brought 

 up by hand is found an in- 

 teresting and charming com- 

 panion. T had at one time 

 two that I could do anything 

 with, and which followed me 

 so closely that they would 



Phut bj A. S. RuJljn.l if Sens 



R A T E L 



Ratels are curiously restless little animals, with a peculiar trot-like 'wait 



