274 Vt^^LD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap. 



keeper when placing his traps overnight, he would often start 

 alone in the morning to take a survey of them, and either kill 

 any animal he found captive, or, if he was not very confident of 

 being the strongest, he would return impatiently for the man, 

 and, running before him, point out plainly where every head of 

 vermin was caught. As for getting into a trap himself, he was 

 far too cunning, but always halting a few yards to leeward of 

 them, and sniffing the air, would at once know if anything 

 was caught. If a cat, marten-cat, or any smaller animal was 

 there, he at once rushed in and killed it ; but he waited for 

 the assistance of his friend the keeper to despatch any larger 

 animal. 



To return to the badger, and his food. One of his most 

 favourite repasts is the contents of the nest of the wasp or wild 

 bee, great numbers of which he must destroy. However far 

 under ground the hive may be, and in however strong and 

 difficult a situation, he digs them up, and, depending on his 

 rough coat and long hair as a protection from their stings, 

 devours comb, larvae, honey, and insects. Many a wasps' nest 

 I have found dug up in this way, and often far from the badger's 

 usual abode ; but the tracks of the animal always made it 

 evident who had been the robber. 



The badger is easily tamed, and will (if taken young and 

 well used) become much attached to his master. When first 

 caught, their efforts to escape show a degree of strength and 

 ingenuity which is quite wonderful, digging and tearing at their 

 prison with the strength of a rhinoceros. When first imprisoned, 

 if looked at, he immediately rolls himself up into a ball and 

 remains quite motionless. As soon as the coast is clear again, 

 he continues his attempts to escape ; but if unsuccessful, he 

 soon becomes contented in his confinement. I one day found 

 a badger not much hurt in a trap. Tying a rope to his hind 

 leg, I drove him home before me, as a man drives a pig, but 

 with much less trouble, for he made no attempts at escape, but 

 trotted quietly ahead, only occasionally showing a natural 

 inclination to bolt off the main path whenever he passed any 

 diverging road, all of which were probably familiar haunts of 

 the unlucky beast. When at home I put him into a paved 

 court, where I thought he could not possibly escape. The next 

 morning, however, he was gone ; having displaced a stone that 



