CHAP, XXXI.] TRAPPING BADGERS, 239 
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 fre- 
quently 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 lay up in some furze-bush or thicket ; 
on these occasions we invariably found them, by tracking them 
with a dog who 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 
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. Ifa cat, marten-cat, or any smaller animal was there, 
he at once rushed in and killed it; but he waited for the assist- 
ance of his friend the keeper to dispatch any larger animal. 
To return to the badger, and his food. One of his most fa- 
vourite 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, 
larvee, 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 
