CHAPTER XXV 

 BADGERS AND THEIR WAYS 



Lord Middleton's Hounds— Great slaughter of badgers — Foxes and 

 badgers — Beckford on entering young hounds — Nicholas Cox on the 

 badger — Badger-baiting — Hunting with hounds — The badger and 

 his relations— The ratel— Weight of badgers— Habits— Diet— Winter 

 repose— A mighty digger — Number of young — Curious instance of 

 affection — Tame badgers — Clever traits— Mr. Lort and his badger 

 "Sally." 



AT the annual dinner of Lord Middleton's Hounds, 

 L held at Malton, in Yorkshire, in May, 1903, Will 

 Grant, the retiring huntsman, made an extraordinary- 

 statement. He told his hearers that during the fifteen 

 years in which he had hunted the pack he and his 

 hounds had killed 2,000 foxes, a highly satisfactory 

 record. But he added further that during his last three 

 seasons he or his pack had killed, into the bargain, 

 no fewer than 161 badgers. Badgers are, evidently, 

 plentiful enough in Yorkshire, and these animals are 

 by no means beloved of fox-hunting folk ; yet it passes 

 the wit of the average sportsman and lover of wild life 

 to understand why, in three seasons. Lord Middleton's 

 huntsman should have destroyed this huge number of 

 a beast which has not only become comparatively rare 

 in Britain, but which is, after all, one of the most 

 harmless as it is one of the most interesting of our 

 native fauna.^ 



^ Since this chapter was written I have heard from Lord Middleton 

 and his late huntsman, Will Grant, in reply to inquiries of mine on this 

 subject. Lord Middleton tells me that his country is overrun with 



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