THE BADGER, AND HOW HE IS HUNTED. 61 



they are gregarious animals, and as many as six or 

 eight have been found in one hole. After some 

 preliminary shakings and grumblings, they move off 

 with their queer shambling gait, and disappear up 

 their path to seek their food. Then you may go too, 

 for they will not return till dawn is near at hand. 



Now, supposing that my readers, like most of the 

 Anglo-Saxon race, after they have found a wild animal, 

 are not happy till it is killed, let us see how we are to 

 compass the capture or the death of the badger. 



The most common, and on the continent of 

 Europe the universal way of getting the badger, is 

 by digging. It was by this means, and by trapping 

 (but the badger is a crafty gentleman, and by no means 

 easy to trap), that no less than four thousand one 

 hundred and ninety-nine badgers were brought to land 

 in the Empire of Austria in the last year for which 

 the official figures are yet published. 



The process is simple enough. All that is required 

 is a dachshund trained to the work, digging tools, and 

 a pair of tongs constructed to grip an animal's neck. 

 As I have already said, the dog must be trained to 

 lie up close to the badger and give tongue conti- 

 nuously. He must not close with him, and must retire 

 before the badger's charges, returning again as soon 

 as they are over. Above all, he must never leave the 

 spot to seek his master or to get fresh air. Should 

 the badger turn tail in order to dig or escape, the. 

 dog must at once, by seizing him, prove the futility of 

 the attempt. 



Supposing that the dog, being slipped into a hole, 



