CUBS 



why the latter show lenience in the matter of 

 allowing the vixen to make use of the earth, we 

 have no direct evidence. The mere presence of 

 vixen and cubs can hardly be of benefit to the 

 badger, seeing that their uncleanly habits by no 

 means coincide with his own good behaviour. 

 When food is plentiful, the vixen is well nour- 

 ished, and being active by nature she may at 

 times bring more food to the earth than she 

 needs, or at any rate more than Mr. Brock thinks 

 she requires. Is it therefore unreasonable to 

 suppose that the badger purloins portions of this 

 food, and that it is for this reason that he admits 

 the vixen and her offspring to his capacious 

 underground abode. 



The education of the cubs begins as soon as they 

 are old enough to play about outside the earth. 

 Their natural instinct, coupled with their mother's 

 teaching, gradually fits them for the struggle for 

 existence ; and later these lessons are augmented 

 by contact with their human and canine enemies. 

 The cubs quickly realise that the earth is a safe 

 refuge in time of danger. Their initial attempts 

 at killing take place when their mother brings 

 home alive some creature in fur or feather. As 

 the youngsters gain strength and confidence, 

 they begin to follow the vixen on hei hunting 

 expeditions, and by so doing gradually perfect 

 themselves in the art of stalking food. Not 

 only this, but they learn the lay of the land as 

 well, one of the most necessary items of a cub's 

 tuition if he is to prove himself a " straight 

 necked 'un " in the hunting season. It stands 

 to reason that a mother of cubs whose experience 

 of life's battles covers a period of years, is a most 

 valuable asset in the proper upbringing of young 



39 



