XLIV. 



Common Badger of America. 



Taxidea taxus (Schreber). 



(L. Taxidea, from taxus, a Badger, and Gr. eidos, like; Latinized into a name applied 

 because of the creature's resemblance to the Old World badger or taxus.) 



Ursus taxus ScHREBER, 1778. Saugthiere, III, p. 520. 

 Taxidea taxus Rhoads, 1894, Am. Nat., XXVIII, June, 



P- 524- 



Type Locality.— Usually given as 'Labrador' but 

 almost surely Saskatchewan River. 



French Canadian, le Blaireau d' Amerique; le 



Brairo. 

 Cree, Ojib., & Saut., Mit-ten-usk'. 

 Yankton Sioux, Ho-cang. 

 Ogallala Sioux, Ho-ka' (=shaggyor bristly). 



The genus Taxidea (Storr, 1780) comprises large animals 

 of the Weasel Family (Mustelidae). They have thick, heavy 

 bodies, very short tails, short legs, front feet immensely power- 

 ful, with long claws and developed for digging; ears, very short, 

 and the following teeth: 



T 3-3 i-i 3-3 I i-i 

 Inc. ^^-^; can. ; prem. ^=^-^; mol. = 34 



3-3 i-i 3-3 2-2 



To these generic characters the Badger adds: 



Length, about 28 inches (711 mm.); tail, 5 inches (127 size 

 mm.); hind-foot, 3J inches (97 mm.). 



99.5 



