adequate accounts of the various cultures and the
natural conditions which formed their backgrounds.
It is well illustrated,"but a short reading list
would have been an improvement.
******** W.J. Chambers.
Badgers Act 1973.
During the year, Lord Arran and Mr. Peter Hardy
introduced Badger Protection Bills into their
respective Houses of Parliament. The Badgers Act
which came into force on the 25th Jan. 1974, represents
a combination of the two Bills, with some amendments
by Lord Cranbrook.
Writing to the Times, Peter Hardy pointed out
that more than a century ago, Parliament prohibited
bull and bear-baiting and even cock-fighting. The
digging of badgers for sport was not banned even
though this practice was often followed by baiting.
Digging has greatly increased in recent years,
particularly in mining districts and some authorities
say it occurred in 30 counties in 1972. I doubt
it has recently happened in Essex but it is difficult
to be certain, and digging does present a real threat
to survival in other parts of the country.
Under the new Act, nobody may take or kill a
badger except under licence from his employer, or a
person with written permission of the landowner.
This will prevent people with terriers going out
and searching for badgers to dig. Moreover, the
Act gives special powers to owners, occupiers,
their employees and police constables to require
persons found digging for, or otherwise harming
badgers, to leave the land. If they refuse to
leave their name and address they can be fined up
to £20, and if they commit any other offence under
the Act they can be fined up to £100. If badgers
do damage to crops or poultry, this is a landowner's
defence against prosecution but he can still be
required to produce this defence in a Court. The
Page 14