COMMON BADGER, 425 
clumsy make, commonly two feet six inches in 
length ; his tail measures six inches ; he weighs 
from fifteen to thirty-four pounds. Mr. Pennant 
met with a male of the weight last mentioned hi 
the year 1779 ; but such are very rare. 
It inhabits most parts of Europe, as far north as 
Norway and Russia, and the Step or desert be- 
yond Orenburg in the Russian Asiatic dominions ; 
in Great Tartary, and in Siberia about the river 
Tom, and even about the Lena ; but there are 
none to the north. It inhabits China also, and is 
often found in the butchers’ shops in Pekin, the 
Chinese being fond of them for the table. It is 
a scarce animal in most countries ; if is a diffident 
and solitary creature ; it seldom appears in the 
day ; it confines itself much to its hole, and is an 
indolent, sleepy creature, but generally very fat. 
It feeds by night, and eats roots, fruits, grass, in- 
sects, and frogs, but is not carnivorous, according 
to Mr. Pennant, while JBuffbn asserts that it pre- 
fers flesh to every thing else. It runs very slowly ; 
when overtaken, it conies to bay, and defends itself 
vigorously ; its bite is hard and dangerous. It is 
hunted during the night for the skin, which serves 
for pistol furniture, and its hair for making 
brushes to soften the shades in painting. Its flesh 
makes good bacon. The division of this species 
into two, the swine and the dog badger, Mr. Pen- 
nant thinks unnecessary, as he asserts there is only 
one. It burrows under ground, and makes seve* 
nil apartments, but forms only one entrance from 
the surface. 
M. BiifFon says, the badger retires to the most 
x secret places, to the inmost recesses of the forest- 
and there digs a subterranean habitation ; he seems 
to fly society, and even the light, and spends three 
fourths of life in bis dark abode, from which he 
never departs but in quest of subsistence. As 
VOL. I. 3 1 
