BADGER. 125 



hope that, under due protection, the county may be partly re- 

 populated with these interesting animals. 



In Scotland Mr. Harvie-Brown states that the Badger occurs 

 pretty generally throughout the mainland, but that it is not a 

 native of any of the islands, although it has been introduced 

 into Jura and upon Ailsa Craig. In all districts it appears, 

 however, to be much less common than formerly. In 

 Thompson's time {circiter 1855), the Badger was stated to main- 

 tain its ground throughout Ireland, probably in every county, 

 examples existing some ten years previous to that date within a 

 few miles of the city of Belfast. 



Habits. — A nocturnal animal, living generally in pairs, though 

 several have not unfrequently been observed in company, the 

 Badger passes its days securely concealed in its burrow, which 

 is generally excavated in some unfrequented part of a wood or 

 thicket, in the side of a hill densely covered with bushes, or in 

 a deserted quarry, whence it issues forth to feed in the evening 

 or during the night. Although having but a single entrance, 

 the "earth" is described as consisting of several tortuous pas- 

 sages, opening out at their extremities into larger chambers. 

 Its food consists mainly of roots of various kinds, fruits and 

 nuts, birds' eggs, together with the smaller mammals, reptiles, 

 frogs, and insects. It is also particularly fond of the grubs of 

 wasps, which are dug out from the nests and extracted from 

 the combs without any fear of the stings of the adult insects, 

 against which the thick fur of the Badger appears to afford an 

 effectual protection. Except that it may destroy a certain 

 number of the eggs of game-birds, the Badger is harmless 

 alike to the game-preserver and the farmer ; and the persecu- 

 tion to which in this country it has always been subject at the 

 hand of man, is due rather to the innate desire of killing and 

 hunting, than on account of any actual damage inflicted. It is 

 true, indeed, that these animals are frequently charged with 

 5 K 



