THE AMERICAN BADGER—THE HOG-BADGER 127 



back. The best way to take him is to place a sack in the entrance of 

 his earth when he is out foraging, and then hunt him back home with 

 Dogs, when he will bag himself in his hurry. 



As is well known, Badgers used to be largely captured for the 

 brutal sport of " Badger-drawing," the beast being given a barrel to 

 retire into, whence "the Dogs were expected to pull him, if they could, 

 for to do so severely taxed their pluck and strength. The chief motive 

 for the capture of Badgers nowadays is the use made of their hair, 

 which is worked up into all sorts of small brushes, especially shaving- 

 brushes. The flesh also is esteemed in some places, the hind-quarters 

 in particular being reputed to make good hams. 



Badgers do well in captivity, and often breed, in that condition, 

 while, if taken young, they can be made so tame as to run at large, 



THE AMERICAN BADGER 



( Taxidea americana) 



It often happens that the North American representative of an Old- 

 World species differs little, if at all, from it ; but the American Badger 

 is very noticeably different from ours, although the relationship of the 

 two beasts is obvious enough. The general colour is very similar, but 

 the American animal has a much narrower stripe of white down the 

 face, which is continued down the back, and the head is somewhat 

 differently formed. The body is also peculiarly broad and flat-looking. 



The American Badger is a beast of the plains, where it lives in 

 burrows, relying on this and on its great strength for safety against 

 the Wolves. It is mainly carnivorous, living on small beasts like Mice, 

 "Gophers" and Ground-squirrels, which it digs out of their holes. 



THE HOG-BADGER - 



{Arctonyx collaris) 



Our Badger is in many ways reminiscent of the Bear and the Pig, but 

 this Indian animal is at once more bearish and more piggy, so to 



