THE BADGER. 175 



acceptable ; in fact, the badger will eat nearly 

 anything he happens to stumble across. 



HIBERNATION. 



The badger does not hibernate in the true sense 

 of the word. During a spell of wild winter 

 weather he may extend considerably his periods 

 underground may not emerge, indeed, for two or 

 three weeks ; but immediately the conditions change 

 he is up and about, as lively as at any other time 

 of the year. In high, wind-swept country he 

 makes this winter denning more of a permanency ; 

 while in warmer latitudes the Gulf states of 

 America, for example the badger does not den 

 up at all. During the chief period of hibernation 

 he generally stops the mouth of the den to exclude 

 draught, which would seem to indicate that his 

 respiration at such times becomes very low ; indeed, 

 it must be something approaching a death-like 

 stupor that tides so heavy-feeding an animal over 

 such a long period without food. But with practi- 

 cally every beast hibernation is merely a matter of 

 convenience, which can be put off when desired ; 

 and even the black-bear of the Far North, which 

 normally hibernates in the true sense of the word, 

 is ready enough to remain awake and active when 

 kept in captivity and liberally fed even though his 

 home be an Arctic trading-post. In this country, 

 then, the badger hibernates if his environment and 

 the conditions of the season demand it; but normally 

 his hibernation is on a par with that of the squirrel, 

 eagerly cut short should the wintry weather relent. 



THE YOUNG. 



I imagine the young, varying from three to five 

 in number, are born in February, as I have observed 



