278 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. 



author's article remains to-day one of tbe best, on the whole, 

 that has appeared, covering as it does the then known ground, 

 with a history, description, account of habits and geographical 

 distribution, a synonymy, and a ver}^ characteristic plate, drawn 

 by Landseer. Sir John, however, noted none of the characters 

 by which our animal is generically distinguished from the Euro- 

 pean MeleSy the establishment of a genus Taxidca being left to 

 Waterhouse, 1838. 



An index to the general later history of this species is afforded 

 by the synonymatic list given on a preceding page (p. 2G3) ; it is 

 unnecessary to recite the various authors who have contributed 

 to our knowledge of the subject. Audubon and Bachman's 

 article, however, is specially noteworthy as illustrating the 

 habits of the animal in confinement. Portions of it are quoted 

 beyond. Baird'S notice of the species enters very fully into 

 the technicalities of the case. J. A. Allen has discussed the 

 variability of the skull, with special reference to geographical 



distribution. 



Gcogrciphica I d istributio n . 



lam not aware that the Badger has ever been traced north- 

 ward beyond the limit of its distribution long ago assigned by 

 Kichardson, namely, latitude 58° north. " The Meles lahradoria^\ 

 says this author, ^' frequents the sandy plains or prairies which 

 skirt the Rocky Mountains as far north as the banks of the Peace 

 Eiver, and sources of the River of the Mountains, in latitude 

 58^.-' The doubts respecting its extension in British America 

 to the Atlantic Ocean have already been expressed. Mr. Don- 

 ald Gunn, in some inedited MSS. which have come into my 

 possession, temporarily, through the Smithsonian Institution, 

 speaks of the animal in the following terms : — '' The Badger, 

 called by the Indians 'Weenusk', inhabits all the woody dis- 

 tricts south and west of Itudson's Bay. It hybernates during 

 the long winters, entering its retreat early in October and 

 remaining under ground until the middle of May. It is not 

 often met with on the shores of the Bay, but is found at a dis- 

 tance of thirty to fifty miles. It does not appear to inhabit the 

 woody districts east of Lake AVinipeg, but is found in open 

 places to the westward of that lake, and is occasionally met 

 with along the river of the same name." It is well known to 

 abound in the region of the Saskatchewan, and the British 

 territory in general lying immediately north of Dakota and 

 Montana Territories. 



