160 URSID^. 



character as perhaps any animal with which we are 



acquainted. Its food, in fact, consists indifferently of 



various roots, earth-nuts, beech-mast, fruits, the eggs of 



birds, some of the smaller quadrupeds, frogs, and insects. 



Bufibn states that it digs up wasps' nests for the sake 



of the honey, — a fact which has received an interesting 



confirmation from the observation of a correspondent of 



Loudon's " Magazine of Natural History," who seems, 



however, to attribute the destruction of these nests to 



the fondness of the Badger for the larvae of the wasp, 



as he says that the combs were found scattered about, 



but none were left that contained the maggots. As no 



wasp in this country lays up a store of honey, like the 



bee, it is but too obvious that it can only rob the nests 



for the sake of the larvae ; yet if a predilection of the 



Badger for honey has elsewhere been observed, it offers 



a striking analogy to several others of the group, 



particularly to its Oriental relation the Rate], Mellivora 



Capensis, which is known to live principally upon it. 



The Badger is endowed with astonishing strength of 



jaws, which is aided by the peculiar manner in which the 



lower is articulated with the upper, the condyle being 



received deeply into the glenoid cavity, which bends 



over it, before and behind, so as to retain it permanently 



in its place. It also possesses great general muscular 



power; and these means of inflicting injury, combined 



with the defensive coat of mail afforded by its strong 



leathery hide, and rough long shaggy hair, render him 



a formidable enemy to attack or to cope with. Such 



qualities as these formerly occasioned the cowardly and 



barbarous amusement of Badger-baiting, now probably 



but little known, to be a favourite and exciting sport 



amongst our rustic population. The poor devoted 



Badger was put into a small tub or barrel, or some such 



f 



