Summary1. The spatial organization of a badger population (North Nibley) is described before and after it was subjected to a UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food badger removal operation (BRO) intended to control bovine tuberculosis.Comparison is made with an undisturbed badger population (Woodchester Park). 2. The Woodchester Park population was organized in group territories with clearly de®ned boundaries that remained stable during the 3 years of study (1995± 97). In North Nibley, however, the badgers' spatial organization was severely perturbed in the ®rst year and, to a lesser extent, also in the second year after the BRO, with badgers using latrines further away from their setts. This resulted in enlarged social group ranges that were dicult to de®ne and overlapped considerably. 3. The disturbance was observed in the removal groups, those immediately adjacent, as well as those at a distance of one or two social groups from the removal area, with an unexpected indication that the latter groups may have been the most aected. 4. The apparent increase in the size of the group ranges in North Nibley was likely to have been caused by an increased proportion of badgers making extra-group excursions in the aftermath of the BRO. 5. Initial recolonization was almost exclusively by females. 6. Although such perturbation might be expected to facilitate disease transmission between badger social groups, there was no evidence that any infectious animals had survived the BRO. However, there were further cattle breakdowns in the area. 7. The behaviour of badgers after the BRO also provided an opportunity to test predictions made by competing hypotheses about the main determinants of the badger's socio-spatial behaviour.

Summary1. Conservation issues and a potential role in disease transmission generate the continued need to census Eurasian badgers Meles meles , but direct counts and sett counts present difficulties. The feasibility of estimating social group size and population density of badgers by quantifying their use of latrines was evaluated. 2. The number of latrines, or preferably the number of separate dung pits, which were known from bait-marking to be used by members of a social group, was positively correlated with adult group size estimated from mark-recapture studies at Woodchester Park and North Nibley (south-west England). In the latter study area both latrine-use measures were also significantly associated with total group size (i.e. including cubs and adults). 3. In spring 1997 and 1998, we quantified latrine use along strip transects, following linear features across four and five areas, respectively, in England, where badger density in summer was known from mark-recapture/resight studies. 4. Seven latrine-use measures were evaluated with regard to their potential to predict badger density. Each measure separately explained between 62% and 91% of the variation in population density in a given year. The simplest measures (latrines km -1 and pits km -1 ) were most stable between years. 5. For these two simple latrine-use measures, a linear model without an intercept term explained the highest proportion of variation in population density. A stepwise procedure to produce the best model selected only one (latrines km -1 ) of the two measures as an explanatory variable, indicating that pits km -1 is colinear with the former variable. 6. A badger census technique based on simple measurements of latrine use has great promise but needs to be validated across a wider range of badger populations, habitats, years, seasons and weather conditions.

Eurasian badgers Meles meles habitually deposit droppings and other scent marks at latrines, which may be associated with territorial defence, and communicate information related to group and individual identity and status, and food resources. Understanding patterns of latrine distribution contributes to our understanding of badger social behaviour, and may be relevant to managing the risks of transmission of bovine tuberculosis from badgers to cattle. We investigated the distribution of badger latrines relative to habitat composition in a highdensity badger population occupying a 7 km 2 area of diverse landscape in south-west England. Results indicated that the frequency and density of badger latrines varied according to land use, with woodland and linear landscape features (particularly hedges and stone walls) being positively selected. The number of latrines decreased significantly with distance from linear features. Grassland was negatively selected given its availability, but contained the highest number of latrines. The tendency for latrines to be associated with particular habitat types covaried spatially across the study area. We present a habitat selection probability function, based on the output of our analyses, to allow comparison of observed versus expected latrine counts per habitat type at different sites. Habitat manipulation on farmland may offer opportunities to manage exposure of cattle to badger latrines. However, our analyses indicate that other factors (perhaps demographic or environmental) may also exert a substantial local influence on latrine location.

SummaryTwenty-three girls and thirteen boys, aged between 4 and 9 years, gave urine samples which were measured by HPLC for adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol and cortisone on a school day and on a home day. Home levels of noradrenaline, cortisol and cortistone were consistently higher than school levels. Cortisol was positively correlated with adrenaline and noradrenaline at home, but not at school. These results may suggest that the school day represents a stimulating but comparatively structured environment with little negative affect, while the home day is characterised by stimulation but relative uncertainty in social interactions.

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