THE BADGER 13 



Celtic name for the badger, forms part of the 

 title of so many villages there are Brocktons, 

 Brocklesbys, etc., in many parts of the country 

 whence badgers have long since vanished. Yet, 

 even if it is not as numerous as it used to be, the 

 badger is by no means scarce, and in some places 

 it is increasing. This may be partly a result 

 of the war, the keepers having had something 

 better to do than persecute these poor inoffensive 

 animals. It is not easy to find out the true state 

 of the badger population in a strange neighbour- 

 hood, for most of the country people do not know 

 that there are such creatures about. Those who 

 know the most are the poor badger's most deter- 

 mined foes, namely the gamekeepers, rabbit- 

 catchers, and earth-stoppers, yet these men 

 seldom set eyes on this creature of the dark, which 

 goes about its work so secretly and silently, never, 

 or hardly ever, getting caught by the rising sun. 

 At the present time the badger is numerous 

 throughout that part of the country that was 

 known in history as the Welsh " Marches." It 

 loves the great woodlands and the wild dingles 

 that lie along the borders. It is also fairly 

 common in the Midlands, and in many other 

 localities, but it usually prefers well - wooded 

 districts. A description of one of its strong- 

 holds may be taken as typical of many others. 

 This earth is situated in a large wood, a remnant 

 of the great forest that once extended unbroken 

 from the west bank of the Severn into the heart 

 of Wales. It is traversed by several small streams 



