THE BADGER. 7 



search for parasites after the manner of Monkeys. No creature 

 is more cleanly in its habits. Over their earth hangs a birch 

 tree, from which grows a horizontal bough 18 in. from the ground. 

 On this they scrape their feet in dirty weather, and keep their 

 house inodorous by depositing their excrement at one place 

 for many months, and covering it with earth. The hybernation 

 of the Badger is not like that of the Hedgehog, continuous 

 and complete, but is irregular and is probably influenced by the 

 character of the winter. I have known the mouth of the earth 

 covered with a coat of snow for fourteen days, and it might have 

 been much longer before they came forth, while they may some- 

 times be tracked in a thin snow for a long distance. 



" As the winter approaches, the old bedding is replaced by 

 dry fern and grass, raked together by their powerful claws. This 

 is often left to wither in little heaps till dry enough for their 

 purpose. Partially concealed, I have watched a Badger gathering 

 fern and using a force in his collection quite surprising. 



"Bell, in his 'Quadrupeds,' quotes Buffon as stating that 

 Badgers are fond of wasps' nests. This is true, for, like the 

 Bear, they love honey and sweet food.* I once heard a pair of 

 Badgers fighting, and crept upon the ground until within a few 

 yards of the angry conflict, but the bracken hid them from view. 

 Next morning I visited the place. A wasps' nest had been 

 stormed and eaten, very little of the comb remained, and not a 

 dozen homeless wasps. That summer I myself saw the wrecks 

 of seven wasps' nests taken by the Badgers in one field, and this 

 autumn they are digging out every one they can find. 



" The Badger and the Fox are not unfriendly, and last spring 

 a litter of cubs was brought forth very near the Badgers ; but 

 their mother removed them after they had grown familiar, as she 

 probably thought they were showing themselves more than was 

 prudent. 



" Much of what I have here described has been observed by 

 many of my friends, but now the nights are getting longer we see 

 but little of our amusing and curious neighbours, and shall 

 probably not renew their acquaintance until the early summer of 

 another year." 



* There appears to be a slight error of observation in the passage quoted. 

 If Buffon states that it digs up wasps' nests for the sake of the honey, he 

 should have said for the sake of the larvce, as wasps do not store honey. 



