286 ^'ORTH AMKKICAX MrSTELID-K. 



squaw, who had brought it t'roin some distance to tlie fort for 

 sale ; it having- been canu:ht by another s(jnaw at a phice nearly 

 two hundred and titty miles away, among the Crow Indians. 

 It was tirst placed in our common room, but was found to be 

 so very mischievous, pulling about and tearing to pieces every 

 article within its reach, trying to dig up the stones of the hearth, 

 •S:c., that we liad it^removed into an adjoining apartment. It 

 was regularly fed morning and evening on raw meat, either 

 the llesh of animals procured by our hunters, or small birds shot 

 during our researches through the adjacent country. It drank 

 a good deal of water, and was rather cleanly in its habits. In 

 the course of a few days it managed to dig a hole under the 

 hearth and tire-place nearly large and deep enough to conceal 

 its body, and we were obliged to drag.it out by main force when- 

 ever we wished to examine it. It was provoked at the near 

 approach of any one, and growled continuously at all intruders. 

 It was not, however, very vicious, and would suffer one or two 

 of our companions to handle and play with it at times. 



"At that period this Badger was about five mouths old, and 

 was nearly as large as a full grown wood-chuck or ground-hog, 

 [Arctomys monax.) Its fur was of the usual colour of summer 

 pelage, and it was quite a pretty looking animal. We concluded 

 to bring it to New York alive, if possible, and succeeded in doing 

 so after much trouble, it having nearly made its escape more 

 than once. On one occasion, when our boat was made fast to 

 the shore for the night, and we were about to make our 'camp,* 

 the Badger gnawed his way out of the box in which he was con- 

 lined, and began to range over the batteau; we rose as speedily 

 as possible, and striking a light, commenced a chase after it 

 with the aid of one of the hands, and caught it by casting a buf- 

 falo robe over it. The cage next da}' was wired, and bits of tin 

 put in places where the wooden bars had been gnawed through, 

 so that the animal could not again easily get out of its prison. 

 After having become accustomed to the box, the Badger became 

 quite playful and took exercise by rolling himself rapidly from 

 one end to the other, and then back again with a reversed move- 

 ment, continuing this amusement sometimes for an hour or two. 



"On arriving at our residence in New York, we had a large 

 box, tinned on the inside, let into the ground about two feet and 

 a half an<l tilled to the same depth with earth. The Badger 

 was put into it, and in a few minutes made a hole, in which he 

 seemed quit<? at liome, and where he passed most of his time 



