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This embellishment, we conceive, our readers will readily discover to be rather an evidence of the characteristic ingenuity of the artist, than any natural peculiarity exhibited by the animals constituting the picture. The Badger, it appears, during Reynard's temporary absence (who has doubtless been actively employed in fulfilling "the first law of nature," if we are to judge of him by the plethoric condition in which he is delineated), has taken possession of his premises, and from his determined look is serving him with "notice to quit," the propriety of accepting which, Reynard seems somewhat disposed to call in question; whether they will try the case we do not profess to be sufficiently learned to determine, and, therefore, leave the conjecture to the curious in such matters to settle. The design is certainly not without merit, and the execution, in our opinion, is very creditable to the engraver.

The fox and the badger are mephitic,the odour is known to arise from glands near the anus. What does Linnæus mean by an ambrosial odour? "Ambrosiaco fragrat odore supra caudæ basin."

Schriber also, in his "History of Quadrupeds," says, "The smell of a fox is strong and unpleasant, but on the tail is a spot from which proceeds a violaceous scent;" and which Doebel, in his work on hunting, appears to have been the first to have noticed, although future naturalists have failed to realise its existence. Perhaps Doebel had been deceived by examining a bagman, not yet relieved from his annisated dressing. The odour of the fox, is it a sexual incentive, or is it a defensive property to annoy other animals, or may it not answer both purposes? The badger, it is said, squeezes from its anal pouches a fetid secretion, which, mixing with its urine, it dashes in the face of its pursuers by means of its tail. The mephitic quality of some other animals has also given rise to extraordinary opinions and singular prejudices: thus Mr. Rennie observes, "In my antiquarian reading, I have met with the following singular notice of Scottish wolves in Bellenden's "Translation of Boetius," edit. Edin. 1541:-"The wolffis are right noisome to tame beastial in all parts of Scotland, except one part thereof, named Glenmorris, in which the tame beastial gets damage of wild beastial, especially of tods (foxes); for each house nurses a young tod certain days, and mengis (mixes) the flesh thereof, after it be slain, with such meat (food) as they give to their fowls or other small beasts; and so many as eat of this meat are preserved two months after from any damage of tods; for tods will eat no flesh that gusts of their own kind." (Loudon's Magazine, vol. ii. p. 457.) Pliny long before had recommended the breeders of poultry to give to each fowl some of the dried liver of the fox as a preventive against the attack of reynard, who was also stated to be so gallant, that he would not touch any hen which had been trodden by a cock wearing a fox-skin collar. The well known fact also, that there are but few animal effluvia which are not closely approached by some vegetable exhalations, is well exemplified in the fox; for the scent of the root of that variety of fritillaria, known as the crown imperial, so exactly resembles the foxy odour, as to be with great difficulty distinguished from it.

The commodious nature of the badger's burrow is well known; but it is not every one of the badger-diggers who gives to these animals as much credit for ingenuity in constructing their habitation as Blome, who says it is such as to be worthy of observation. "When they earth, after they have entered a good depth for the clearing the soil out, one lieth on his back, and another layeth earth on his belly, and so taking his hinder feet in his mouth, draweth him out of the burrow, and having unladen himself of the earth goeth to the same work, and this they do till their chambers or places of retreat are finished: then they proceed to gather in their furniture, that is, the materials for their couch or lodging, as straw, leaves, moss, and the like, which with their feet and head they wrap up so close together, that they will get to their burrows a pretty good bundle; some burrows have seven or eight distinct chambers." must however observe, that Blome was not sworn to the truth of this method of removing earth. The badger is, on the contrary, so solitary an animal, that he is ever found alone. During the day he

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