THE BADGER. 



THOUGH now scarce or utterly exterminated 

 in many districts where once it was abun- 

 dant, the badger can hardly be set down as a rare 

 animal. In some places where it is still compa- 

 ratively numerous, its presence is unknown except 

 to a few local followers of woodcraft, for the badger 

 is so much of a recluse, so strictly nocturnal in its 

 activities, and, above all, so cautious in secreting 

 its runways where one would least expect to find 

 them, that the naturalist must first know some- 

 thing about Brock's habits in order to locate him. 



Coniferous forests are the badger's chief abode 

 in the British Isles, and he is particularly partial 

 to pine-woods generously surrounded by cover. 

 This is probably because pines grow, as a rule, on 

 water-washed hillsides and ridges where the ground 

 is of sandy formation, which suits Brock's sub- 

 terranean architecture. Fir-forests, where the 

 undergrowth is rank with bracken and bramble, 

 similarly meet his tastes, and in certain parts of 

 the New Forest, particularly the vicinity of Boldre- 

 wood, badgers are as numerous to-day as ever 

 before. In fact, provided one is acquainted with 

 the district, I know of no better country than 

 the New Forest for studying the badger at home. 



Amidst the game-preserves of Northamptonshire 

 the badger still holds out in many localities, 

 and considerable warrens are to be found if one 

 knows where to look. In parts of Wales he is 

 common ; in fact, Wales may be set down as his 

 true home, so far as Britain is concerned, and 

 the keen and plucky terriers used for badger- 



W.A. k 



