THE BADGER, AND HOW HE IS HUNTED. 59 



by Wood in his delightful book, " Bible Animals," as 

 occurring in Syria. Are we not told that the taber- 

 nacle used by the Israelites in the desert was made, 

 or lined, with badger-skins ? It is hardly necessary 

 to say that the zoology of the translators of Scripture 

 was most defective. In many other places where we 

 find the word " badger ' in our English version, totally 

 different animals are meant, but in the text I refer 

 to, it is probable that the translation is correct. 



Among other slanders from which the poor badger 

 suffers, is that which imputes to him an offensive 

 smell. " To smell like a badger " has passed into a 

 proverb. The fact, nevertheless, is that in its wild 

 state the animal is not offensive, and the erroneous 

 idea has probably arisen from the experience of 

 observers who have only seen them in a state of 

 confinement. Most animals when shut up in a small 

 hutch or barrel would be equally objectionable, and 

 many probably more so. 



Before going on to treat of the methods of hunting 

 the badger, I propose to point out a simple method 

 by which any person sufficiently interested in the 

 beast and his ways can get a view of him in his 

 native wilds. The first thing is to locate the animal. 

 If in walking through the woods we come across 

 frequent deep hasty scratchings and overturned stones, 

 we may feel sure that we are on the feeding-ground 

 of the badger, and, therefore, not very far from his 

 abode. Careful observation will often show the regular 

 beaten track the animals use to reach the earth, but 

 if not, a patient search of all the steepish banks and 



