62 FAUNA OF SHROPSHIRE. 



numbers. So far as Shropshire is concerned, this is 

 certainly not the case, and it is found in most parts of the 

 County where there are extensive woodlands remote from 

 the dwellings of man. In such places it excavates its 

 burrow, or earth, which has only one entrance, but is 

 said to divide inside into two or three branches. One of 

 these branches leads through a hole only just large 

 enough to admit the body of the Badger, to a good-sized 

 chamber lined with dry grass which the animal rolls up 

 into balls, and removes, as soon as it is the least bit dirty, 

 replacing it with clean dry grass. The narrow entrance 

 to the chamber enables the Badger to defend himself 

 against any enemy with ease, and, knowing this, he 

 always rushes to it on the least alarm. The female 

 produces three or four young about March, and they 

 are blind for some time after birth. The characteristic 

 scent of the Badger is due to a glandular pouch beneath 

 the tail, but it is not so strong or disagreeable as that of 

 the Fox. The fact that both these animals will associate 

 in the same earth has already been alluded to in the 

 account of the Fox. The cruel sport of Badger-baiting 

 is now supposed to be obsolete in England. To catch 

 the Badger a sack was placed in the mouth of his earth 

 while he was "away from home" on his nocturnal 

 rambles. A few Dogs were then let loose in the wood 

 to alarm him, when he would rush to his burrow and 

 dash head-first into the sack, the mouth of which was 

 instantly closed by a running string. The poor brute 

 was subsequently placed in a barrel lying on its side 

 and a number of terriers let loose to worry it slowly 

 to death. The end rarely came till several of its 

 assailants had suffered terrible punishment, for the 



