236 THE NEW FOREST 



and in digging badgers on scientific principles, 

 and indeed it is not a sport in which a novice 

 can succeed, nor nearly as simple as it looks. 



In the- Forest many of the earths are made 

 in a stratum of sandy soil, beneath which is clay 

 or boggy and wet grounds. So that the earths 

 do not run more than 8 or 9 feet deep, but 

 often spread over as much as three-quarters of 

 an acre, with innumerable entries, galleries, and 

 passages, all communicating with one another 

 over this extent of ground. 



Often there are two stories of such galleries, 

 one running above the other, and the badger 

 moves from his ground -floor apartments to his 

 first floor as he thinks he can best baffle 

 the dog. 



Now, in order to get hold of him, he must 

 be located, and driven in and around his earth 

 till he can be got into a corner by means of 

 digging cross trenches, so as to cut him off 

 here and there from parts of his stronghold. At 

 last the dog, if he be good enough, locates him 

 with certainty, and, lying not too near him, but 

 baying lustily, tells us where to dig down first 

 on to himself, and finally to the badger, which is 

 a little way in front of him, and can be secured 

 by opening out the earth till some one can 

 grasp his tail as he turns to dig onwards, and 



