I thought I might have read about the legendary partnership of badger and coyote, and went looking for it in my set of Ernest Thompson Seton's wonderful seven volume illustrated work Lives of Game Animals, which he compiled in 1929 toward the end of his life. This work, by the way, is a lost classic, hard to find even in libraries, and if you should find one you should buy it immediately! It is worth it for the art alone, and there's nothing like it until Jonathan Kingdon wrote and illustrated African Mammals starting in the 1970s.
Under "friendliness", a correspondent of his named A. H. Hawkins wrote from Alberta: "I noticed on two occasions a Badger and Coyote travelling in company... Seated one day, eating our noon lunch, I noticed two animals coming towards us, and drew the attention of my men to the fact. We remained perfectly quiet, so that they came within 20 to 30 feet of us before seeing we were so near. The Coyote travelled ahead, and the Badger followed along as fast as he could, right at the heels of the Coyote.
"I could see no reason, not could I explain it in any way satisfactory to myself, and, although I asked several people in the West about it, the occurrence is still a mystery to me."
You made me run to my bookcase and read about badgers and more badgers, badgers and coyotes, badgers and lost boys...
ReplyDeleteSeton's Lives of Game Animals is such a treasure. I found my set [eight volumes, Doubleday, Doran & Co., the 1929 edition] at a local library book sale decades ago. 25 cents per volume or some such! Near-mint condition, too -- I used up some karma points that day, for sure.
Dang, I'm jealous--I've been trying to get copies of Seton's "Lives Of Game Animals" forever, but only found VERY EXORBITANT(therefore unavailable to peasants) copies for sale(sigh). But I'll keep lookin'.....L.B.
ReplyDeleteI can GIVE you one spare volume that spans two of mine if you want it-- nicer edition too but I have all the material.
ReplyDeleteI would NEVER insult you by refusing(ahem!)......L.B.
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