NATURE AND SPORT IN BRITAIN 



hinder feet in his Mouth, draweth the Belly-laden 

 badger out of the Hole or Cave, and having disburdened 

 herself, re-enters and does the like till all be finished." 

 Truly our ancestors had some marvellous ideas on the 

 subject of natural history ! 



At birth the mother badger produces from three to 

 five young, which are born blind. These animals are 

 credited with having a very faithful affection for one 

 another, which, knowing the very close attachment that 

 a tame badger will form for the person whom it looks 

 upon as its master, one can very easily credit. Buffon 

 relates the following anecdote : " Two persons were on 

 a short 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 they hunted him out, 

 and killed him. Being a very few miles from a village 

 called Chapelatiere, they agreed to drag him there, as 

 the Commune gave a reward for every one which was 

 destroyed : besides they purposed selling the skin. 

 Not having a rope, they twisted some twigs and drew 

 him along the road, by turns. They had not proceeded 

 far when they heard a cry of an animal in seeming dis- 

 tress, and stopping to see from whence it proceeded, 

 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 con- 

 tinue 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 dead 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, boys, or men induce it to quit its situation 

 by any means ; and, to their shame be it said, they had 



244 



