74 THE BADGER. 



which they pursued till it took shelter in a burrow under a 

 tree. With some difficulty it was hunted out and killed. They 

 then dragged it to a neighbouring village, called Chapellatiere 

 to obtain from the commune a reward for its destruction, and 

 to sell the skin. But they had not proceeded far, when they 

 heard the cry of an animal in seeming distress, and, stopping 

 to listen whence it proceeded, they observed another badger 

 approaching them slowly. They threw stones at it j notwith- 

 standing which it came up to the dead animal, began to lick it, 

 and continued its mournful cry. They ceased pelting it, and 

 again drew the dead one along ; when the living badger, 

 determined to adhere to its dead companion, laid down on it, 

 taking it gently by one ear, and in that manner was drawn into 

 the village j nor even there could it be induced to quit its hold 

 by dogs, boys, or men, who at length killed the poor animal, 

 and burnt it as a witch. 



The badger feeds upon rabbits, birds' eggs, lizards, frogs, 

 beetles, snails, and worms. In countries where the wild honey- 

 bees form their nests in the ground, they are often disturbed 

 by the badger, who, having a great taste for sweets, plunders 

 their stores without ceremony. A writer in the Magazine of 

 Natural History (viii. 228) mentions some circumstances which 

 he has frequently observed in Selkirkshire, and which induce 

 him to suspect that it digs up the nests of our common ground- 

 wasp and wild bee, and devours the larva or maggots which 

 they contain. It is also a vegetable feeder, eating the fallen 

 beech-nuts, earth-nuts, fruits, and the roots of various plants. 

 Not being able to climb, it does no injury to anything which 

 either grows or perches at a height from the ground 5 but if they 

 fall within its reach, it will eat them. 



In confinement, Fleming says that he has seen it not only 

 eat rabbits and lick the contents out of birds' eggs, of which 

 it seemed very fond, but "greedily devour crows."* 



The badger possesses great general strength, which, together 

 with the toughness and looseness of its skin, enables it to offer 



* History of British Animals (1828), p. 9. 



