ORDER CARNASSIER. 273 



their hind-feet to reach it, it was with much difficulty that 

 they tore away the plaster and stone which they wanted to 

 get rid of. The male would then several times lie down at 

 the foot of the wall, and the female mount upon his body 

 to reach the hole more easily, which she was trying to aug- 

 ment. When they found that all their efforts were useless, 

 they recommenced operations under another large stone, 

 the only one in the place beside the former, which pro- 

 jected ; but here they encountered a resistance which they 

 could not overcome. Tired of their vain attempts on the 

 side of the walls, under projecting stones, they turned their 

 attention to the mound of earth, and worked, the female 

 especially, with uncommon ardour and perseverance. At 

 first they made little trenches or excavations all about this 

 mound, and fixed themselves exactly opposite the place 

 where they had made their second attempt against the wall. 

 They commenced by removing the earth with their nose, 

 then they made use of their fore-paws to dig and fling the 

 earth backwards between their hind legs. When this was 

 accumulated to a certain point, they threw it still farther 

 with their hind-paws ; and finally, when the most distant 

 heap of earth impeded the clearance they were making 

 from the hole, they would come walking backwards to re- 

 move it still farther, making use both of their hind and 

 fore-paws in this operation, and they never returned to 

 work at their burrow until they had completely removed 

 this heap of mould out of their way. One of these animals 

 would often lie down by the side of the other when it was 

 digging, and seemed to annoy it as much in its labours as 

 its own repose must have been disturbed by its coadjutor. 

 During the night the burrow was finished. 



According to the report of hunters, it appears that the 

 Badgers furnish the bottom of their habitation with dry 

 and soft substances of which they make a bed, and which 

 they carry between their paws. This habitation is not a 



Vol. II, T 



