BADGERS. 55 



for making pistol cases ; and their fur is excellent for 

 painter's brushes. They are difficult to kill, and few 

 dogs have courage enough to attack them in their 

 holes, where they live in pairs. When thus pursued, 

 they constantly impede the progress of their enemies 

 by throwing the soil behind them, so as to fill up the 

 passages, while they escape to the surface. They are 

 rare animals, but are to be found in various parts of 

 the world. The Chinese eat them in spite of their bad 

 odour. They often show great affection, an interesting 

 proof of which is given by Captain Brown in his Popular 

 Natural History, which I transcribe. 'Two persons 

 (in France) went on a journey, and passing through a 

 hollow way, a dog which was with them started a badger, 

 which he attacked, and pursued till he took shelter in a 

 burrow under a tree. With some pains he was hunted 

 out and killed. Being a few miles from a village called 

 Chapelletiere, they agreed to drag him thither, as tho 

 commune gave a reward for every one which was de- 

 stroyed ; besides which, they proposed selling the skin. 

 Not having a rope, they twisted some twigs, and by 

 turns drew him along the road. They had not pro- 

 ceeded far when they heard the cry of an animal in 

 seeming distress, and stopped to listen, when another 

 badger approached them slowly. They at first threw 

 stones at it; notwithstanding which, it drew near, came 

 up to the dead animal, began to lick it, and continued 

 its mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted 

 from offering any further injury to it, and again drew 

 the dead one along as before ; when the living badger, 

 determined not to quit its companion, lay down on it, 

 taking it gently by one ear, and in that manner was 

 drawn into the midst of the village ; nor could dogs, 



