THE STORY OF THE BADGER . 
343 
About the latter part of October or first few weeks in November, the animal 
sleek and fat, enters its burrow and goes to sleep. It remains there until 
the warm sun of the spring months wakes it, when it appears, but little the 
worse for its long seclusion. 
The fast of five or six months leaves the animal in better condition than 
are most of the other hibernating creatures when they issue forth in spring. 
It has been very generally asserted that badgers and foxes do not get 
POUCHED BADGER OF AUSTRALIA. 
on well together, and that the former kill the cubs of the latter. I know of 
a case where the badgers and the foxes were not unfriendly, and one spring 
a litter of cubs was brought forth very near the badgers; but their mother 
removed them after they had grown familiar, as she probably thought they 
were showing themselves more than was prudent. More than one instance 
has come to my notice where these two animals have lived amicably together 
