118 



JM A M M A L I A — B A D G E R. 



white spots; its hair is longer and coarser, its legs are shorter, and its feet 

 longer; hut, like the raccoon, its tail is diversified with rings, alternately 

 black and fulvous ; and to all its feet there are five claws. 



This animal has a practice of eating its own tail, which, when not muti- 

 lated, is longer than its body, and which it generally rears aloft, and can 

 move with ease in any direction.* 



As for the coati in other respects, it is an animal of piey, which subsists 

 on flesh and blood, which, like the fox, destroys small animals and poultry, 

 lur ts for the nests of little birds, and devours their eggs ; and it is probable 

 fro -a this conformity of disposition, that some authors have considered the 

 co -i as a species of small fox. It inhabits the woods of South America. 

 Ii mrsuit of its prey, it climbs trees with much agility. When tamed, 

 ■w -ch it easily is, it is fond of being caressed, but does not become much 

 a  ched to its owner. 



THE EUROPEAN BADGER 1 



ts a lazy, distrustful, solitary animal, that retires far from the approach ot 



* Godman says, " It has been considered very wonderful that this animal should eat its 

 vwn tail, which certainly ajipears to he the fact. The extreme length of its tail, in which 

 the blood circulates but feebly, exposes it to the influence of the cold or frost ; and the 

 exceedingly tormenting irritation produced thereby, leads the animal to gnaw and scratch 

 the tail to relieve the excessive itching. The disease spreads, and the anguish induces 

 the coatimundi to gnaw more furiously, and eventually his life is destroyed by the exten- 

 sion of the inflammation and irritation to the spine, &,c." 



1 Taxm vulgaris. The genus Torus has six upper and six lower incisors ; two upper 

 and two lower canines ; ten upper and twelve lower molars. The first molar very small. 



