106 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



me a pleasing remembrance. Of late years the badger 

 has in many places disappeared, in consequence of the 

 common use of the steel trap. Many gentlemen, how- 

 ever, and notably the Earl of Rosebery, are preserving 

 them, and have reintroduced them on their estates, so 

 that it is to be hoped the day is yet far distant when the 

 extermination of this, the largest, strongest, and fiercest 

 of our British wild beasts, will have to be deplored. 



Theravages of the badgeramong gameare generally 

 confined to the devouring of eggs and the digging out 

 of rabbits' nests. Their scenting power is remarkable, 

 as they dig down perpendicularly to a depth of 3 feet 

 straight into the nest. I was recently interested in 

 an illustration of their scenting powers by poison being 

 inserted in a dead hind calf, and placed on an island in 

 the centre of a deer forest for the purpose of destroying 

 carrion-crows. The water round the island was deep 

 and 20 yards across, yet the badger had scented the 

 carrion, and swam over to its certain doom. This is 

 the only illustration of badgers swimming that has 

 come under my observation. They are very destruc- 

 tive among eggs, and as a consequence their presence 

 cannot be tolerated in a game-preserve. I have fre- 

 quently trapped them with eggs as a bait, though 

 they are practically omnivorous, wheat in harvest-time 

 being found in their excrements, but they are likewise 

 attracted by any sort of carrion. 



The otter may also be classified as a poacher. It is 

 generally believed that he preys only upon fish, but 



