118 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS. 



its fondness, and the poor man was willing to part 

 with it. It thus came into my possession, and soon 

 became a great favourite, showing too, on its part, great 

 attachment to me and to the household. It followed 

 me like a dog, yelping and barking with a peculiar 

 sharp cry, when he found himself shut out of the room 

 in which I happened to be sitting. He was accustomed 

 to come into the dining-room during dinner, of which 

 he was generally permitted to partake, and he always 

 ate his morsels in a very orderly manner. He was, in 

 fact, an affectionate, gentle, good-tempered fellow, and 

 very cleanly withal." 



As a proof of the strong affection of the badger, the 

 following circumstance was related by a gentleman re- 

 siding at Chateau de Vernours. Two persons were on 

 a journey, 'and passing through a hollow way, a dog 

 which was with them started a badger, which he attacked 

 and pursued till the animal took shelter in a burrow under 

 a tree. With some pains he was hunted out and killed. 

 Being a few miles from a village called Chapellatiere, 

 they agreed to drag him thither, as the commune gave 

 a reward for every one which was destroyed ; besides, 

 they proposed selling the skin, as badgers' hair furnishes 

 excellent hair for painters. Not having a rope, they 

 twisted some twigs, and drew him along the road by 



