264 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



six weeks may be seen sitting about the mouth of 

 their hole, or accompanying their dam to short 

 distances when on her evening rambles. I always 

 find the badgers unoffending, harmless creatures 

 unless first attacked. They feed almost entirely on 

 roots, wild fruit, grain and occasionally insects. 

 They are, however, extremely shy and wary. 

 Beautiful it is to see these creatures on summer 

 evenings searching for food among the low bushes, 

 occasionally giving a low grunt when some favourite 

 root turns up. When insects come within their 

 reach they are snapped up somewhat after the 

 manner of a dog catching flies. The life of the 

 badger is eminently that of a peaceful creature, 

 harmless in all its ways, unoffending, interesting in its 

 life-history, useful and, above all, fitted with a 

 quiet contentment almost human. The body of the 

 badger is long and heavy and its legs short, which 

 gives it an awkward, shambling appearance when 

 running. Its beautifully-shaped head has two white 

 lines running from the snout to the tips of the 

 ears. The upper parts of its body are light grey, 

 becoming darker below, the lower parts being quite 

 black. 



The total length of a fully grown male badger is 

 about thirty-six inches. The structure of the 

 creature is especially adapted to its mode of life, 

 this being shown in the slender muzzle, with movable 



