THE BADGER 171 



Badger in Bulgaria speaks quite enthusiastically of its good 

 qualities : 



' He lived with us for years, and I am able to give him 

 an excellent character. There is a saying, " smells like a 

 Badger." This is a shameful libel on the cleanest beast 

 I know. It is only when shut up in some small place that 

 he becomes objectionable, and I am sure that, much as 

 man dislikes the smell, the Badger likes it less. The grey- 

 hounds soon made friends with him, and long before he 

 was fully grown he was their master, and could roll them 

 over with the greatest ease. He was omnivorous, but the 

 treat of his life was a lump of sugar, or, better still, a little 

 honey. He slept under my bed all the time we were in the 

 tent, and would follow me almost like a dog/ 



Badger-baiting was at one time a very popular sport in 

 England. Even nowadays the discovery of one of the 

 animals is the occasion for much barbarous treatment. 

 Though naturally harmless and rather slothful, scarcely any 

 animal can defend itself so obstinately, or inflict keener 

 wounds on its adversaries. Its skin is thick and loose, 

 permitting it, even when seized, to turn round upon its 

 assailants. Not infrequently the unfortunate beast will 

 endure torture throughout a whole day, maintaining the 

 unequal fight until, worn out by wounds and continual 

 reinforcement of its enemies, it is drawn from its hole and 

 forced to submit. 



The skin of the Badger, dressed with the hair on, is 

 manufactured into pistol-cases, and is often used for cover- 

 ing travelling trunks ; the long hairs are used for making 

 shaving-brushes and painters' pencils. In Italy and France 

 the hindquarters of the animal are cured like hams, and 

 are said to be superior to the flesh of the hog. 



The American Badger (Taxidea americana) is larger than 

 the European species. In some portions of the United 

 States the animal is so numerous that the burrows render 

 travelling on horseback dangerous. 



The Cape Zorilla (Ictonyx zorilla), or Cape Polecat, is 

 often tamed for ferreting purposes. It is striped something 

 like the American skunk, to which it is only second in 

 evil-smelling qualities. 



