THE BADGER 



of the animal world, and to not a few 

 sportsmen. 



From my boyhood all wild animals have 

 had for me an intense fascination, and though 

 in later years my hunting-grounds have been 

 for the most part in other countries and 

 continents, and among larger game, I doubt 

 if any of the beasts whose acquaintance I 

 have thus made has been a source of 

 greater interest to me than the badger. 

 The charm of an animal for man, where the 

 sporting is the master instinct, appears to be 

 measured by his capacity to elude observa- 

 tion and defy pursuit ; and the badger, 

 judged by this test, is a charming creature. 

 I may be mistaken, but to me it appears that 

 the chase in its widest sense is one of the 

 best schools for studying nature. Such 

 knowledge as I have gained of the badger 

 has been due to the indulgence of this 

 " brutal " instinct, as it is profanely called, 

 and from quiet observation. If the reader 

 will spare a little time, I will show him the 

 manner in which my observations are made, 

 but I warn him that there is nothing 



