190 FROM SPRING TO FALL. 



whether it be honey, grubs, or comb, all goes 

 down ; and when the bees swarm round him his 

 thick fur protects him : he takes no more notice 

 of them than if they were so many flies. 



Wild-fruit, roots, any small deer that comes in his 

 way, all good things he enjoys. The consequence 

 is, he grows enormously fat ; he is a creature of 

 contented mind, and in no small degree a philo- 

 sopher, never hurrying when there is no occasion 

 for it. Peaceable, too, and willing at all times to 

 act up to the principle of " Let be for let be ; " but 

 once rouse him, let him think that danger is near, 

 and a transformation takes place. No more wad- 

 dling ; he is off with a rush. If any foe obstruct his 

 path, he will find that a more determined antagonist, 

 taking his size into consideration, does not exist. 

 Once, and only once, I had the pleasure of seeing 

 mother badger and her young family of hopefuls at 

 their gambols, rolling and tumbling about. Gravely 

 the old animal sat in the midst of them, and I 

 thought it was one of the quaintest sights I had 

 ever seen. 



The marten, pine marten, sweet marten, or 

 marten cat, as he is variously called, according 



