1 70 FLESH-EATERS OF THE LAND 



feet have straight toes with curved but rather blunt, non- 

 retractile claws, with which the animal burrows with 

 wonderful rapidity. In common with various animals of 

 the family, the Badger can easily walk or trot backwards. 

 The hair is reddish or yellowish grey, the lower parts 

 being darker, and the head black and white. 



Found throughout the northern parts of Europe, Asia, 

 and America, the Badger is still fairly common in many 

 parts of the British Islands. It is a perfectly harmless 

 animal until provoked to defend itself ; its bite is particu- 

 larly powerful, and the jaws so lock together that their 

 hold is difficult to shake off. Shy, wary, and nocturnal, the 



SKELETON OF THE BADGER. 



Badger is practically omnivorous, living upon small animals, 

 insects, frogs, roots, fruits, &c. 



The Badger's burrow is very deep and winding, and in it 

 is placed a warm nest of dried grasses and bracken. In 

 this the three or four young ones are born at the end of 

 March, but they do not come out into the open until June. 

 Very often several burrows are quite close to each other, 

 and it is nothing uncommon for the female Badger to make 

 her nest in a fox earth, even while part of it is tenanted by 

 its original owner. 



Like the generality of weasels, the Badger possesses 

 offensive glands, the nature of which is denoted in Burns' s 

 poetical allusion to the 'stinking Brock/ Contrary to 

 general opinion, the Badger, when at liberty, is scrupulously 

 clean in its ways. A gentleman who captured a young 



