THE BADGER 15 



which the novice might mistake for those of a 

 heavy dog, but the hind pad, the " sole " of the 

 foot, is bigger in proportion to the toes than is 

 the case with any dog ; besides, where the trail 

 is very plain, one will see that the owner has five 

 toes on each foot, whereas a dog has only four 

 that make an impression in the mud. 1 Once 

 a badger's track has been seen and recognized, 

 it can never be mistaken for that of any other 

 animal. Indeed, to learn much about badgers 

 one must study their trails carefully, so as to 

 know their footprints at sight, and to understand 

 what every scratch and claw-mark signifies. One 

 can then read on the paths, in the damp earth, 

 and on the woodland rides, the story of each 

 night's doings how a wasps' nest was raided, 

 how the moss was turned over in the search for 

 grubs, and how a dead rabbit, left by that blood- 

 thirsty scoundrel the stoat, was turned to good 

 account. 



In the wood that I am describing one can 

 study these things, for there are badgers' tracks 

 on all sides ; they have their well-used paths, 

 which lead chiefly to the great earth, or " sett," 

 which is situated at the top of one of the steep 

 banks. There are other badger earths in the 

 covert, but this is the stronghold, the ancient 

 fortress, of the tribe. The entrance holes are 

 on the very verge of the bank, which drops steeply 

 to the stream a hundred feet below, so there is 



The fifth toe of the dog is the little " dew-claw," which is 

 situated too high on the leg to leave an impression in the mud. 



