THE BADGER. 169 



trees during the warmest hour of the day, the nest 

 standing out as an excrescence amidst the darkness 

 of the undergrowth. 



Though there are indications that a nest has at 

 one time been in use at the mouth of the main 

 burrow of almost every warren, one may search 

 far and diligently before rinding an actual 

 example ; for, having sunned himself so long as 

 the light lasts, it would appear that Brock drags 

 the material into the earth after him, making good 

 use of it below rather than allowing it to become 

 damp and rotten on the earth's surface. Thus, if 

 one locates a sunning-nest, and returns only an 

 hour or so later in order, perhaps, to photograph 

 it, a hundred to one it will be gone especially 

 if one handled it on first arriving. Nor has 

 any man I have met actually caught a badger 

 asleep in its sunning-nest. One might as well 

 attempt to catch a fox asleep in a hen-house. 

 Smith, the keeper at Boldrewood, tells me that 

 on several occasions he has arrived to find the 

 nest still warm from contact with the badger's 

 body, but Brock himself had heard or winded the 

 intrusion, and tumbled underground with seconds 

 to spare. 



SANITATION. 



In sanitation the badger stands out as a model 

 of system and virtue many beasts would do well 

 to copy, the perfection of his sanitary arrange- 

 ments being unrivalled by those of any other 

 woodland creature, not even excepting the beaver. 

 Only once have I found any traces of uncleanliness 

 about the warren, which in this instance was occu- 

 pied by young badgers, who evidently had not 

 learnt the full value of systematic cleanliness. 



