During  the  day  the  badger  coils  itself  up  at  the  end,  and  only
comes  forth  occasionally  to  bask  in  the  sun. The  skin  is
valuable  for  its  tenacity ;  the  flesh,  after  being  steeped  in  run-
ning water,  is  good,  resembling  pork  in  flavour;  it  is  in  the  best
condition  towards  the  end  of  autumn. The  fat  is  used  as  an
ointment  for  sprains ;  from  5  to  10  pounds  are  taken  from  a
single  animal. The  badger  feeds  on  roots,  vegetables,  acorns,


i


BADGERS. 171

nuts,  and  fruits  of  various  kinds. It  is  a  sad  robber  of  vine-
yards, biting  off  the  branches  to  obtain  the  clusters  which  are
out  of  reach. The  maize-fields  also  suffer  greatly  from  its
depredations. Towards  the  end  of  autumn  it  collects  together
a  quantity  of  moss  at  the  end  of  its  burrow,  and  passes  a  con-
siderable part  of  the  winter  in  sleep. Owing  to  its  nocturnal
habits  it  is  not  often  shot. The  hunter's  only  chance  being  to
watch  its  hole  in  the  evening  or  early  morning. It  is  also  very
cunning  in  avoiding  traps,  so  that  it  is  generally  either  dug  out,
drawn  by  dogs,  or  pulled  out  by  a  pole  with  nippers  or  a  hook
at  the  end. In  Canton  Glarus,  according  to  Tschudi,  they  adopt
a  very  barbarous  method  of  capturing  it. "The  hunters  in-
troduce into  the  burrow  a  long  pole,  having  at  the  end  a  kind
of  double  corkscrew;  this  is  twisted  round  and  round  till  the
unfortunate  beast  is  transfixed,  when  it  is  drawn  like  a  cork
from  a  bottle  and  killed  by  a  rap  on  the  muzzle."  The  same
author  says,  "  Of  all  its  enemies  the  badger  hates  the  fox  most
cordially,  since  the  cunning  rascal  often  disturbs  its  repose  by
depositing  stinking  ordure  in  the  mouth  of  its  den. The
badger  carries  to  excess  its  love  of  cleanliness,  and  even  prefers
to  desert  a  warm  and  comfortable  dwelling  to  having  its  nose
offended  by  the  arts  of  this  infamous  master  Reynard. 