XXXI HABITS OF THE BADGER 273 



were some farmer's pigs taking a distant ramble, but I shortly 

 saw that they were badgers, come from their fastnesses rather 

 earlier than usual, tempted by the quiet evening, and by a heavy 

 summer shower that was just over, and which had brought out 

 an infinity of large black snails and worms, on which the badgers 

 were feeding with good appetite. As I was dressed in grey 

 and sitting on a grey rock, they did not see me, but waddled 

 about, sometimes close to me ; only now and then as they 

 crossed my track they showed a slight uneasiness, smelling the 

 ground, and grunting gently. Presently a very large one, which 

 I took to be the mother of the rest, stood motionless for a moment 

 listening with great attention, and then giving a loud grunt, 

 which seemed perfectly understood by the others, she scuttled 

 away, followed by the whole lot I was soon joined by my 

 attendant, whose approach they had heard long before my less 

 acute ears gave ms warning of his coming. In trapping other 

 vermin in these woods, we constantly caught badgers — sometimes 

 several were found in the traps ; I always regretted this, as my 

 keeper was most unwilling to spare their lives, and I fancy 

 seldom did so. His arguments were tolerably cogent, I must 

 confess. When I tried to persuade him that they were quite 

 harmless, he answered me by asking — " Then why, Sir, have 

 they got such teeth, if they don't live, like a dog or fox, on 

 flesh? — and why do they get caught so often in traps baited 

 with rabbits ? " I could not but admit that they had most 

 carnivorous -looking teeth, and well adapted to act on the 

 offensive as well as defensive, or to crunch the bones of any 

 young hare, rabbit, or pheasant that came in their way. When 

 caught in traps, they never left part of their foot behind them 

 and so escaped, as foxes and other vermin frequently do ; but 

 they display very great strength and dexterity in drawing up 

 the peg of the trap, and this done, they will carry off the heaviest 

 trap to an amazing distance, over rock or heather. They never 

 attempt to enter their hole with a trap dangling to their foot, 

 but generally lie up in some furze-bush or thicket ; on these 

 occasions we invariably found them, by tracking them with a 

 dog which generally attended the trapper, and which dog was 

 peculiarly skilful in tracking animals of this kind. Rover (for 

 that was his name), a strong water-spaniel, was very fond of, 

 and took great interest in, trapping ; if he accompanied the 



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