Mammal Rev. 1972, Volume 2, No. 2. pages 55-64.

The National Badger Survey ERNEST NEAL Mansell House, Milverton, Somerset

CONTENTS Introduction . Method Interpretation of the data Results

The habitat . Deciduous woods, 'copses and hedgerows Coniferous woods Open situations . Soil Altitude . Slope . Nearness to water Typical vegetation

Set density . Factors affecting numbers County recorders as at July 1972 Acknowledgments . References .

.

. 55

. 55 . .~

. 56

. 56 . 56

. 56

. 57

. 57

. 58 . 59

. 59

. 59

. 60

. 60

. 62

. 63 . 64

. 64

INTRODUCTION The Badger Survey was organized by the Mammal Society in 1963; its main aims may be summarized as follows :

( I ) To obtain an accurate assessment of the distribution of the badger in Britain based on exact data.

(2) To discover the important ecological factors which had a bearing on distribution and those local factors which influenced the badger's choice of site for its set.

(3) To make more detailed studies of the distribution and density of sets in selected areas which represented typical kinds of country so that valid comparisons could be made: for this, 10-km squares were the units chosen. It was hoped that actual population densities might be estimated from these data.

(4) To provide information for determining any change of status of the badger that might arise in the future which could be assessed by periodic re-appraisal of set numbers in typical areas.

(5) To make note of any persecution or control measures being taken which might influence numbers.

METHOD The survey was organized on a county basis. Wherever possible the County Recorder enlisted the help of enthusiasts within his county to map out the sets. Each set was the subject of a questionnaire and the data were recorded on a detailed record sheet which included the grid reference and if possible a sketch map of the set position. These sheets were sent to the County Recorder who constructed from them a distribution map for the whole county. Later, the more important data were incorporated in summary sheets which were sent to the writer for analysis. In many instances the County Recorders were able to publish separately more detailcd accounts concerning their own counties.

The questionnaire dealt with such factors as: (1) The site: the feature of the land into which the badgers had burrowed, e.g. hedgebank,

deciduous wood, orchard, etc.

55

56 E. Neal

(2) Altitude and configuration of the ground: whether the site was level or sloping and if

(3) Situation: the relation of the site to the surrounding features, such as ‘near the edge of

(4) Soil: whether clay or sand, etc., and the type of geological stratum into which the

( 5 ) Cover: the typical flora in the immediate neighbourhood of the set. (6) Nearest water supply: the kind of supply and distance from the set. (7) Size of set: estimated by number of holes and those which were in constant use. Information, if available, was also solicited concerning the history of the set, any damage

the latter, which way the slope faced.

deciduous woodland bordering arable field.’

set was dug.

reported to have been done by the badgers and any action taken to destroy them.

INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA The choice of habitat over the whole country has been expressed numerically as a percentage, but the results have to be interpreted with due respect to local factors. For example, 0.7% of all badgers’ sets recorded were found on sea cliffs, but the figure as such is meaningless as most badgers have no opportunity of making their sets there. However, in counties with a considerable seaboard, such as Cornwall, the local figure of 12 % is an important indication. The analysis of the results of the survey which follows will take into account as much as pos- sible local factors which influence choice.

RESULTS The habitat Badgers were found to occur in a very wide range of habitats. Their sets were found in wood- land, scrub and hedgerows, in quarries and on sea cliffs, in moorland and open fields, to name the more usual, but occasionally sets were discovered in the embankments of roads, railways and canals; in long barrows and iron-age forts, in mines and natural caves, in coal tips, rubbish dumps and under buildings. Badgers are certainly most adaptable animals.

Deciduous woods, copses and hedgerows By far the greatest number of sets in Britain were found in deciduous woods (49 %). County

percentages vary from very high from Surrey (75 %) and Buckinghamshire (69 %) where this kind of habitat is commonly found, to 17% in Roxburghshire, where most of the woodland is coniferous. The percentage is in fact a good indication of the relative acreage of deciduous woodland in the country, suggesting, as would be expected, that this was at one time the main habitat of the badger when much of Britain was under this type of vegetation.

In larger areas of woodland the sets were usually situated within 150 m of the perimeter. In Shropshire, for example, forty-four out of forty-nine were within 25 m of the edge. This suggests that apart from the cover that a wood supplies there are other factors modifying the choice. The most likely of these is food. The favourite and most important food of the badger is the earthworm and these are found in greatest number in good pasture. A set near the edge of a wood combines the advantages of both cover and a near source of food.

In areas where woodland has largely been broken up, deciduous copses were often chosen. In some counties such as Worcestershire the number was very high (38%) although for the country as a whole it was only 7%. Copses obviously provide very similar conditions to woodland in the immediate neighbourhood of the set.

The other types of habitat which resemble woodland in some respects are scrub and over- grown hedgerows. These were also found to be commonly chosen and in areas where woods were absent they were found to be their most common alternative. For the country as a whole 13% were in hedgerows or scrub. Sets in hedgerows were much more common when the

The National Badger Survey 57

hedge was set on a bank. Disused farm tracks bounded by high banks with high hedges were commonly chosen in many parts of Somerset such as the Brendon Hills. The soft earth of the bank gave easy access for digging and facilitated the removal of the earth.

Coniferous woods In spite of the great acreage of coniferous woods in many parts of the country, only 7 %

of sets were within them. Of these, the majority had been there when the original deciduous woods had been felled and replaced. The chief factor which makes a coniferous wood unattrac- tive to a badger appears to be a lack of ground cover; there is also little food available. As in deciduous woods, the sets were mainly near the edges of the woods.

Open situations Nine per cent of sets were in open situations, but this rather surprisingly high figure should

be treated with certain reservations, because the amount of cover available in an apparently open situation varies much during the course of the year. In winter and early spring a set may appear to be without cover, but in summer it may be a mass of bracken and the badgers may emerge and go off unseen. Other sets in open situations soon acquire cover as nettles and thistles quickly colonize the excavated earth in the vicinity of the sets. An interesting aspect of this phenomenon is the seasonal movement away from sets for the duration of the exposed period. Thus badgers in some coastal regions in Pembrokeshire may use sets on the cliffs, where bluebells and bracken give cover, but in winter and early spring use copses further inland where they breed.

Sets in open situations often have their origins in hedgerows. It was not unusual to find a set with several entrances in a hedge bank, but others some yards out in the field. The removal of hedges also left some sets bereft of their usual cover.

Those in truly open situations were found more often at higher altitudes where presumably disturbance was less and where cover was less important to the badgers. At lower altitudes open situations are often arable or pasture-in the former they are subject to continual interference through farming practice and in the latter by the attentions of cattle. It is not at all unusual for badgers to leave a set where cattle have disturbed them by trampling around the entrance.

Moorland sets were found commonly in counties which had a large acreage of this type of habitat, such as Roxburghshire (27%), although the average for the country as a whole was understandably low (2.5 %). They were characterized largely by heather or deep grassy cover which allowed an inconspicuous emergence and dispersal. On leaving sets in these habitats the badgers followed well-worn paths winding about among the vegetation which largely hid them from sight.

In districts where quarries were numerous, sets were often found in them. The significance of this choice will be discussed when the kind of soil is considered. At higher altitudes, especi- ally in mountainous country, sets were found with little sign of excavated earth. The badgers had made use of natural caves and fissures. This was also found to be true in disused mines. In some districts this habit of using natural fissures explains the great distances (up to 100 m) between entrances in the same set.

Reference has already been made to sets on coastal cliffs. These were usually on the upper slopes, but in some the badgers had dug into remarkably precipitous regions where a man would find great difficulty in climbing. That some badgers occasionally lose their footing is probable, as their bodies have been found on several occasions on the tide line in these areas.

The same phenomenon occurs with inland cliffs. In the Derbyshire Dales, for example, badgers may be seen to emerge from a set on a limestone cliff and follow a narrow ledge before reaching the grassy slopes above. Earth from these sets may be seen in heaps many feet below the set entrance where the slope was not so steep.

58 E. Neal

Badgers quickly find places for making their sets where the soil is easy to dig. As a result sets have been found in many places where man has disturbed the soil in some way and left it less consolidated than in other parts. If these regions rise above the level of the surrounding country the badgers find them even more attractive to use. Thus sets have been found in road, canal and railway embankments, rubbish tips and pre-historic earthworks. This selec- tion of disturbed soil may afford valuable indications to the archaeologist; for instance, in Sussex, Henry Cleeve found potsherds thrown out of a set. This led to the discovery that the set had been dug into a wasters pit for broken and imperfect pots associated with a Romano-British pottery kiln. Long barrows provide the same sort of conditions and some of these in Wiltshire are riddled with badger workings. The same applies to ancient earthworks such as Cadbury Hill (Somerset).

Sets made in coal deposits were found in Northumberland and Yorkshire. In one set i n the parish of Cawthorne (Yorkshire) the spoil heaps outside the entrances contained large lumps of coal mixed in with small coal and shale, the set, in fact, being in old pre-mechaniza- tion mine workings known as day-holes.

Reference must be made to sets in built-up areas. With the increase in urban spread more sets which were at one time in typical country have become surrounded by buildings. Survival of these sets largely depends on how isolated the sets have become due to building. If they are connected by corridors of suitable terrain and enough food is available they may manage to exist quite well. This applies especially to the green belts which are sometimes incorporated within city boundaries. Many sets were recorded in such areas within the confines of Bristol, Birmingham and indeed London itself. Here the badgers have adapted their behaviour very considerably, emerging very late (often after midnight) and foraging in gardens, investigating the contents of dustbins and clearing up after picnics.

Soil The survey has shown very conclusively that given the choice between a sandy and a clay

soil, the former is normally chosen. Over 44% of all sets were in sandy soil compared with 6% in clay. This appears to reflect two important properties; ease of digging and good drainage. However, clay is not despised and in many districts where no sand is avail- able, is utilized with success.

Sets in sand are predictably much more extensive than those in other soils and enormous workings have been found in suitable greensand and red sandstone regions.

In many districts badgers exploit the junctures between strata. This applies particularly to sets dug in sandy soil with a hard impermeable stratum above it which keeps the set dry and prevents the roof falling in. Thus in the Blackdown Hills (Somerset) they dig into the soft greensand, leaving churt as a roof and in the Mendips (Somerset) they excavate the sandy stratum immediately below the hard carboniferous limestone. In the Brendons (Somerest) the new red sandstone is popular, but especially so when it is roofed by Bunter conglomerate. In the Cotswolds (Gloucestershire) the sets are often dug in Costwold sand with the oolitic limestone acting as a roof, while at lower levels they utilize the lower lias clays with marlstone above. This habit of choosing the juncture between two strata with contrasting properties appears to be most important and may account for the number of sets found in quarries where the juncture is easily discovered.

A set near Sheffield was dug under a much-used main road and in spite of the vibration of traffic above and the lack of cover the badgers apparently got the same type of protection that they needed-a hard roof to their tunnels and dry conditions.

In contrast, soils which are periodically flooded or waterlogged are avoided. Peat moors and other low-lying areas come into this category, but if the land rises sufficiently to give the necessary dryness the region is usually exploited. Thus in the Fenland district around Goole (Yorkshire) the only sets found were in the artificial slopes of the banks of dykes and railways. One of these sets was very large and extended along the bank of a dyke for about 100 m, the

The National Badger Survey 59

whole area being covered by elders. The same sort if thing is evident in Lincolnshire and on the Somerset Peat Moors, where there are no sets until the level rises about 3 m. In one of these flat, wet areas a breeding nest above ground was discovered containing very young cubs in the centre of a large heap of hay in a hawthorn hedge.

Calcareous regions were found to support a fairly high concentrate of sets, though the majority were small ones. In most chalky districts the softer chalk strata were usually chosen. This was evident from the type of material thrown out on to the spoil heaps. A recently dug out set in the chalk downs of Wiltshire can be seen from a distance, as the excavated chalk appears to spill down the hillside like milk from a green jug. Particularly large pieces of hard chalk often show the badger’s claw marks where they have been scraped during their removal.

In Buckinghamshire there is a remarkable preference for chalk with flints, 82% of the recorded sets being in this stratum. This soil coincides to a considerable extent with woodland distribution which is likely to be an added reason for the choice. In contrast there was almost a total absence of sets on the extensive clay plateau nearby. The good drainage that chalk provides may well be the most significant reason for the preference.

Altitude The optimum altitude chosen was only significant in counties where an extensive choice

was available. In these most sets were found between 100 m and 200 m. It is not possible to explain this precisely as several factors are operating. Land below 100 m tends to be heavily cultivated or densely populated by man, and badgers may often be driven out of these areas i n consequence. Marginal land where disturbance is less is usually at higher altitude, but if the land is too high, food supply becomes too restricted, so the medium heights are probably chosen as a result of the interaction of these factors.

Occupied sets are known up to 500 m on Malham Moor (Yorkshire), in Northumberland and parts of Scotland, and they certainly go to 300 m in the Cumberland Fells. At the other extreme, sets were found a few feet above sea level in Halfield Moor (Yorkshire), in Argyll, on the Somerset Peat Moors and in parts of Essex.

Slope Eighty-eight per cent of the sets recorded were dug into slopes and there is no doubt that

this brings advantages to the badgers concerned. First, it is easier to dig into a slope as this facilitates the removal of the excavated soil, which spills down the slope. Entrances leading to vertical tunnels are rare and when they do occur are usually, if not always, the result of the roof of a tunnel falling in and the badgers exploiting the accident to form a new entrance. Second, i t is easier for a badger to find a particular stratum to dig into if it is on a slope, as it is more likely to be exposed. Third, the mound which forms outside the entrance on a slope builds up until it forms a conical funnel with the entrance at the lower point. This formation catches wind eddies from any direction and a badger can detect danger without exposing itself fully.

The direction of the slope appeared to have little or no significance in most counties and was most often correlated with the natural slope of the land rather than to any particular compass point. However, where more extreme weather conditions occurred, such as Cornwall, a directional bias was noted. In this case, 77% of the sets faced away from the wet and pre- valent winds. Also, in the colder regions in the north there appeared to be a tendency for the sets to face south; in this way they would benefit from slightly warmer conditions, especi- ally during the early months of the year.

Nearness to water The survey showed that proximity to water was not an important factor, probably because

sites in Britain are rare where some source of water is not available within half a mile. Many sets were made very near water, but choice could usually be better explained by other factors

60 E. Neal

which were present. In drier areas badgers are known to visit cattle troughs and drink from rainwater which collects in the hollows formed in trees with multiple trunks.

Typical vegetation As the habitats chosen by badgers were so diverse, it was not surprising that flora in the

vicinity of sets was also very varied. However, the presence of elders (Sarnbucus nigra) and nettles (Urtica sp.) was a striking correlation. In some counties these plants were found nearby in over 70% of the sets, and almost all the older established ones. This did not consti- tute a choice by the badgers, but represented the effect of them being there. The dung and urine of the badgers make the nitrogen and phosphate content of the soil high; conditions very favourable to the growth of elders and nettles. These plants can also thrive in soil which is subject to periodic disturbance such as that produced by the constant digging. In addition, badgers eat elderberries and the seeds pass unchanged through the gut and are deposited in the dung and germinate. The dung pits are often very near the sets. Finally, there is probably food selection by rabbits which often occur nearby; the elders being left because they are bitter and the nettles because of their stings.

From the foregoing it appears that the main factors which influence a badger's choice of' habitat for digging a set are:

(1) Cover: this allows the animal to emerge and leave without being conspicuous. (2) Soil: this should be well drained, easy to dig and be firm enough to prevent the roof

(3) Seclusion: the less disturbance by man or his animals in the immediate vicinity of the

(4) A plentiful and varied food supply nearby at all seasons of the year. A combination of factors 1 and 4 would explain why set site selection seems to favour the

edge between woodland cover and arable feeding areas, a tendency also reflected in sets in copses, scrub and hedgerows which combine similar factors. It is interesting that the wide- spread availability of this ectotone has been largely due to agricultural practice and this may well have contributed to the wide distribution of the badger in Britain.

The best badger country fulfilled all these conditions. I t is found in areas where there was a high proportion of deciduous woodland interspersed with fertile grassland containing a high density of earthworms, where the country was hilly and the soil of a sandy nature. This type of country occurs in parts of such counties as Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Devonshire and Dorset, to name some of the most important. All these counties have regions of high set density, although actual badger numbers are greatly modified by local pressures.

Table 1 summarizes the variation in habitat factors in counties where sufficient sets have been recorded to give significant percentages.

falling in-preferably a roof of a harder material.

set, the better.

Set density In any one 10-km square the highest number of sets recorded was 106 for Buckinghamshire, ninety-four in Surrey, sixty-five in Denbighshire and forty-nine in both Somerset and Worces- tershire. Not all these sets were, of course, occupied at the same time. Many other counties, such as Dorset and Kent, recorded smaller areas than the 10-km squares where densities were proportionally as high. More typically, only small areas provided optimum conditions and these were surrounded by less favourable regions. Here, sets were sometimes very concen- trated and three or even four to the square km were recorded. Sometimes, as on a wooded escarpment in Somerset, the sets followed a linear pattern along the contour line with approxi- mately one third mile intervals between them. In more hilly country, for example in Derby- shire, a rather similar pattern emerged where the sets followed the wooded valleys.

Tab

le 1

Sum

mar

y of

data

con

cern

ing

sets

in s

elec

ted

coun

ties s

how

n as

per

cent

ages

Num

bers

invo

lved

: 19

7 44

7 26

8 24

5 31

7 50

0 23

4 13

4 28

2 73

14

9 55

41

83

71

17

3 77

20

8 86

61

13

1 48

1

Hab

itat

Dec

iduo

us w

ood

40

40.2

30.

3 47

73

.6

43

45.5

44

.5

68

20

41.3

48

53

.2

11.4

35.

2 48

.6

66.2

42

.3

38.3

43

.5

17.4

55

.8

49.3

C

onife

rous

woo

d 6

5.7

7.1

11.6

1.

8 2

5.0

4.7 -

1.4

3.3

15.5

12

.3

6.8

7 5.

4 5.

6 14

.9

13.8

4.

8 34

.1

15.4

8.

5 co

pse

3 9.

7 7.

1 4.

1 3.

7 26

14

.4

9.4 -

21

12.7

19

.3 -

36.3

11

.2

6.3

9.7

4.8

3.2

4.8

2.3

1.9

7.2

Hed

gero

w o

r sc

rub

24.5

20

.4

35.7

16

.3 1

0.7

22

15.2

17

.5

19

14

5.3

7.8

19.5

11

.4

16.9

5.

4 4.

2 10

.6

13.8

3.

2 4.

6 5.

9 13

.0

Ope

n fie

ld

3 13

.7 1

8.2

17.0

3.

7 4

1.9

4.7

6 25

23

.3

5.7

4.9

10.2

7

3.6

11.3

9.

6 23

.4

30.6

6.

0 6.

6 9.

2 Q

uarr

y 1.

5 5.

4 0.

6 1.

3 -

2 -

14.7

2.

5 6.

5 5.

3 3.

9 2.

6 8

1.4

1.8

1-4

3.8

5.3

4.8

0.7

3.8

3.2

0.7

Sea

cliff

M

oorla

nd

7.2

2.0 - -

0.3 - - - - - - -

2.6 -

1.4

5.4 -

4.8 -

4.8

27.3

0.

5 2.

5 B

uilt-

up a

rea

2 0.

4 0.

6 -

1.2 -

2.3 - -

2.7 - - - -

1.4 - - - - - -

0.1

0.6

Any

oth

er

12.4

0.

2 1.

1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1.1 - - -

Orc

hard

s E

mba

nkm

ents

, -

2.2 -

2.5

4.6

I 15

.5

4 4.

5 9.

2 9.

1 -

4.9

16

18.3

23.

4 1.

4 9.

1 1.

1 3.

2 7.

6 9.

5 5.

5

etc.

C

oal t

ips,

Min

es,

2

Soil

3 C

lay

58.9

22

11

.8

5.5

5.2

9.1

32

18.4

3

37

70.6

8.

3 -

30.8

79

.4 4

3-9

12.1

51

.4

29.1

36

61

.8

3.9

6.3

5. Sa

nd

10.5

47.

5 56

.5

43.6

26

64

.4

65.5

33

.6

7,5

57

24.8

58

.3 -

69.2

20

.5

38.3

77

.3 2

6.2

25

58

36.5

61

.7 4

4.4

ft

7.4

10.6

5.

8 -

4 1.

5 18

.9

6.0

B

Q

Cha

lk

-

3.2

21.7

43

68

.6

26.5

0.

4 45

.6

84 - - - - - - - -

20.7

45

.8 - - -

19.0

&.

Lim

est o

ne

-

18.5

10

.0

7.6 - - - - - -

4.5

20.8

- - -

10.3

-

14.5

-

2 -

15.4

7.

5 7

16.8

k

A

ny o

ther

Shal

e 30

.3

8.4 - - - -

2.1

2.4 -

6 -

12.5

- - -

- - - - - - - -

5.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - -

f 1 O

n a

slop

e 84

85

97

92

78

94

-

93

90

55

95

73 - -

84

75

89

88

94

95

92

95

88

On

the

flat

16

15

3 8

22

6 -

7 10

45

5

27 - -

16

25

11

12

6 5

8 5

12

Hig

hest

den

sity

per

2

10-k

m sq

uare

27

49

48

24

94

56

34

21

10

6 12

49

- -

24

9 24

36

30

13

36

33

65

-

62 E. Neal

FACTORS AFFECTING NUMBERS Reports from widespread parts of the country have emphasized the number of sets which had been active 5 years ago, but which are now disused or destroyed. Over the period of this survey badgers have been subjected to increasing pressures, which, in some parts, have brought down the actual population of badgers considerably.

The biggest factor causing this decline is the ever-increasing toll of road casualties. This is greatest during the 3 months February-April when sows are suckling cubs. All these litters die with the death of the mother, lactation lasting at least 3 months. The electrification of the railways at ground level has also had a marked effect in some regions. Two hundred badgers are known to have been killed in Kent after the electrification of one section of the line.

Industrial and housing sprawl has reduced the size of many regions which once had flourish- ing populations. This is particularly evident in those parts of the home counties nearest to London and on the outskirts of the larger cities.

I ' 0

t " " " " ' " " " " ' 1

Badger Meles meler

K Mi - I i l L E l :

I 0

9

8

7

-2 tm

1 9 0

3 4

3 4 5 6

Fig. 1. This map includes all records from the Mammal Society's Badger Survey that were in the hands of the national organizer by December 1970. ., 1960-70 incl.; 0, before 1960.

The National Badger Survey 63

All these destructive factors have to be looked upon as almost inevitable, but there are others which are not so, for Man still persecutes the badger to a considerable extent. Snaring is now very widespread and in many parts is routine practice. Badgers are caught very easily by this method, but much cruelty results as the animals are very strong and often go off with the snare round them to die a lingering death.

Gassing is also widely practised, and although illegal, has become normal routine on many farms and shooting estates. Reports from Sussex, for example, show that in the west of that county continual gassing on the large estates has reduced the badger population to an extremely low level in contrast to the eastern part, where numbers are still high.

Digging either for sport, for the pelts, or For selling the cubs as pets. has been on the increase and is known to occur in at least twenty-nine counties. These are all potent factors which are working against the badger. Thus, in spite of the widespread distribution oFbadgers in Britain and their high density in favoured localities, there is no room for complacency as in many parts the balance has been tipped firmly against them and if the decline continues may lead in some parts to a drastic reduction in numbers.

It is obvious From the distribution map, Fig. 1, that there are still many areas where badgers would be expected to occur, but for which there are no records. Additional information and help would be welcome. Please get in touch with the organizer or your County Recorder:

COUNTY RECORDERS AS AT JULY 1972 Organizer: A. KILLINGLEY (Buckingham).

BERKSHIRE: J. P. DANDO, Linwood, Elvendon, Goring, Nr Reading.

BUCKINGHAM : A. KILLINGLEY, 2 West Waye, Brands Hill Ave., High Wycombe.

CAMBRIDGE: A. E. VINE, Cromer Lodge, Wareham, King'sLynn, Norfolk.

CHESHIRE: P. BENNETT, 22 Lodge Drive, Moulton, Northwich.

CORNWALL: R. M. BERE. West Cottage, Bude, Haven.

CUMBERLAND: J. PARKER, Orchard House, Dean, Workington.

DERBY: G. SMITH, 64 West Hill, Codnor, Derby DE5 4RW.

DEVON: Miss R. HABGOOD, 8 The Firs Caravan Park, Bakers Hill, Exeter.

DORSET: E. A. J. BUCKHURST, Leeson House, Langton Matravers, Nr Swanage.

DURHAM: G. A. COWAN, Apperley Dene, Stocksfield, Northumberland.

ESSEX: R. A. D. COWLIN, Homefield, Homefield Close, Epping.

GLOUCESTER: G. SCREEN, 35 Rudgeway Park, Rudgeway, Alveston, Nr Bristol.

HEREFORD: D. B. CAPPER, Old Rose Cottage, Elton, Nr Ludlow.

HERTFORD: M. CLARK, Tewin Orchard, Tewin, Nr Welwyn.

KENT: Dr J. F. D. FRAZER, The Nature Conservancy, 19 Belgrave Square, London S.W.1.

LANCASHIRE: P. CARTER, (From Sept. 1972, address to be notified later).

LEICESTER, NORTH-EAST : W. B. CUNNINGTON,

LINCOLN: M. JOHNSON,

NORTHUMBERLAND: G. A. COWAN.

Honeysuckle Cottage, Pickwell, Melton Mowbray (Liases with I. M. Evans).

Natural History Assistant, City and County Museum, Broadgate, Lincoln.

Apperley Dene, Stocksfield, Northumberland.

30 Yew Tree Lane, Gedling, Notts. NOTTINGHAM: D. WARREN,

OXFORD: R. LEAKEY. 16a The Parade, Kidlington, Oxon.

Primrose Cottage, Sweeney Mountain, SHROPSHIRE, NORTH: C. RUSSELL,

Nr Oswestry. SHROPSHIRE. SOUTH: R. BARRATT'.

Tregarthan; Tenbury Road, Clee Hill; Salop.

Mansell House, Milverton, Nr Taunton.

Coombes Valley Nature Res., Six Oaks Farm, Bradnou. Nr Leek.

SOMERSET: Dr E. G. NEAL,

STAFFORD: M. WATERHOUSE,

SUFFOLKf The Earl of CRANBROOK,

SURREY: P. CARTER, Red House Farm, Great Glenham, Saxmundham.

4 Denbigh Gardens. Richmond. (Until S<pt. 1972). '

SUSSEX: E. D. CLEMENTS, Puckridge, Under Road, Magham Down, Hailsham.

WARWICKSHIRE: A. C. C. MEGGY, 26 London Road, Knowle, Solihull.

WILTSHIRE: Miss B. GILLAM, 19 Roundway Gardens, Devizes.

WORCESTER: R. K. PARSONS, 10 Platts Crescent, Amblecote, Nr Stourbridge.

YORKSHIRE, WEST: Dr R. PAGET, Glebe Farm, Harthill, Nr Sheffield.

YORKSHIRE. EAST: A. L. V. MIDDLETON. - - ~- 1 West End,Lund, Driffield.

YORKSHIRE, NORTH: J. E. KNIGHT, LEICESTER- M. EVANS, Museum & Art Gallery, New Walk, Leics. Tanglewood, Hutton Village, Guisborough.

64 E. Neal

Scotland CLACKMANNAN: Rev. E. M. ROBERTSON,

The Rectory, 11 Grange Road, Alloa. DUMFRIES: R. E. SMITH,

Irvine House, Canonbie, Dumfrieshire. INVERNESS: L. McNALLY,

Culachy, Fort Augustus. LANARKSHIRE: H. O'DONNELL,

4 Coronation Road. Edinburgh 10. MIDLOTHIAN & w. 'LOTHIA~:

Mrs E. FARQUHARSON, 6 Chamberlain Road, Edinburgh 10.

MORAY: I. S. SUITIE, Alves Manse, Forres.

PERTHSHIRE: See CLACKMANNAN. RENFREW: Mrs G. CHRISTIE,

Glenlora, Lochwinnoch, Renfrews. ROSS & CROMARTY: A. CURRIE,

Balnabeen House, Duncaston, Conon Bridge, R. & Crom.

ROXBURGH: A. CURRIE,

SELKTRK: D. MITCHELL. 'Waukford', Kirk Yetholm, Kelso.

5 Bleachfield Road, Selkkk. STIRLING: C. PLACIDO,

Nature Conservancy, Eastmost Cottage, Milton of Buchanan, Drymen G63 OJE.

Wales CARDIGAN: Miss B. JONES,

DENBIGH: A. G. SPENCER,

MONMOUTH: I. CAVILL,

MONTGOMERY: R. LOVEGROVE,

Brynllwyd, Clarach, Aberystwyth.

Rock Cottage, Cefn y Bedd, Wrexham.

43 Lewis Drive, Churchill Park Estate, Caerphilly, Glam.

The Walk Mill, Mochdre, Newtown, Mont.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My thanks are due to all the County Recorders and their helpers who have taken part in the survey ; their published reports and summaries have been invaluable.

REFERENCES CLARK, M. (1970) Conservation of badgers in Hertfordshire. Trans. Herts. nut. Hist. SOC. 27, Part 2, 1-9. COWEN, G. A. (1955) The badger in Northumberland and Durham. Trans. nut. Hist. SOC. Northumb. 11, NO. 4,

GILLAM, B. (1967) The distribution of badgers in Wiltshire, 1966. Wilts. Arch. Mag. 62, 145-153. HURRELL, H. G. (1971) Dartmoor badgers. Journal ofthe Devon Trust, Spring 1971, Exeter. KILLINGLEY, A. (1969) Distribution of badger sets in relation to the geology of the Chiltems. J. Zool., Lond.

LEFTWICH, A. W. (1965) The National Badger Survey. J. Northampt. nut. Hist. SOC. 35,365-369. NEAL, E. G. (1966) The ecology of the badger in Somerset. Somerset Arch. &nut. Hist. SOC. 110, 17-23. PAGET, R. J. & MIDDLETON, A. L. V. (1969) National Badger Survey. The Naturalist, 81-82. PICKVANCE, T. J. & BABB, H. E. E. (1962) Midland mammals survey (4). Badgers and badger sets on Bredon

Scorr, D. (1960) The badger in Essex. Essex Nut. 30, Part 4, 272-275. SQUIRES, A. E. (1963) The badger in Charnwood Forest. Surv. Leics. nut. Hist., No. 2, 1-34. TEAGLE, W. G. (1969) Badgers in the London area. Lond. Nut. No. 48,48-75. VINE, A. E. (1965) The badger in Cambridgeshire. Nature Cambs. No. 8,50-57. VINE, A. E. (1970) The badger in Norfolk. Norfolk Bird Mammal Rep. 191-200.

Unpublished reports have also been received from: Bucks: Killingley, A.; Cornwall: Bere, R.; Cumberland: Parker, J.; Denbighshire: Spencer, G.; Essex: Cowlin, R. A. D.; Kent: Frazer, J. F. D.; Selkirk: Mitchel1,D.; Shropshire: Russell, C.; Surrey: Bartlett, E.; Sussex: Clements, E. D.; Yorks, East Riding: Middleton, A. V.; Yorks, West Riding: Paget, R.

77-84.

158,204-208.

Hill, Worcestershire. Proc. Bgham nut. Hist. SOC. 20,41-47.