THE MOLE. 11 



some few years ago, there were several Badgers in a known earth. 

 Very near to this earth sat a Partridge on her nest, in a furrow 

 of a wheat-field. One day, on going to see whether she had 

 hatched off, I tracked a Badger by the peculiar print of his foot. 

 He had seized the bird on her nest, and there eaten her and her 



eggs." 



No doubt in this way the Badger now and then gets hold of a 

 sitting bird, but winged game, as a rule, can generally keep out of 

 his way ; and it is a fact, that in certain places I know, where 

 Badgers are common, game of all kinds is also plentiful. I am 

 aware, however, that the Badger is very fond of young rabbits, 

 and will dig down upon them from above and scoop them out. 

 The holes thus made may often be seen where Badgers abound, 

 with the prints of their feet and the marks of their strong 

 claws — occasionally, too, some of their grey hairs sticking to the 

 soil. They are often taken in traps baited with rabbits. 

 St. John states that he once had a Badgers' hole dug out during 

 the winter season. After tracing out a long winding passage, the 

 workmen came to two branches in the hole, each leading to good- 

 sized chambers. In one of these was stored a considerable 

 quantity of dried grass, rolled up into balls as large as a man's 

 fist, and evidently intended for food ; in the other chamber there 

 was a bed of soft dry grass and leaves ; the sole inhabitant was a 

 peculiarly large old dog-badger." 



In such comfortable quarters as these the young are born, and 

 are usually from three to four in" number. They are blind 

 at birth, and remain so for nine days. After being suckled for 

 about three weeks they follow their parent, and are believed to be 

 fully grown in two years. Mr. E. W. Holdsworth has thus 

 described some that were born in the Zoological Gardens, 

 Regent's Park : — 



" Four young Badgers were born on March 12th, 1862, but 

 all died in the course of forty- eight hours. The largest of the 

 litter weighed a little more than 3 oz., and measured — extreme 

 length, 7 in.; length of head, If in.; length of tail, l£ in.; 

 height at shoulder, 2^ in. These young animals were born blind, 

 and after their death there was no appearance of their eyes 

 having opened. They were well covered with short, greyish- 

 white hair, and had the two dark facial stripes faintly marked. 

 The anterior limbs were very stout, larger and better developed 



