THE RATEL AND THE SKUNK. 143 



form passages having a central chamber and various anti- 

 chambers, which he makes in sandy and gravelly soil. He 

 is nocturnal in his habits. " When pursued," says Mrs. Bowdich, 

 " he constantly impedes the progress of his enemies by throw- 

 ing the soil behind him, so as to fill up the passages, while 

 he escapes to the surface." He is a formidable opponent 

 to his enemies, as his skin is so tough and his bite so severe, 

 and he displays much sagacity in avoiding traps and escap- 

 ing confinement. Mr. St. John placed one in a paved court 

 for security, but before the next morning he had displaced 

 a stone and burrowed his way out under the wall. Captain 

 Brown tells an affecting story of the feeling of a badger for 

 its mate. "Two persons in France killed a badger and 

 proceeded to drag it towards a neighbouring village. They 

 had not proceeded far when they heard the cry of an 

 animal in seeming distress, and stopped to listen, when 

 another badger approached them slowly. They at first 

 threw stones at it; notwithstanding which, it drew near, 

 came up to the dead animal, began to lick it, and con- 

 tinued its mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted 

 from offering any further injury to it, and again drew the 

 dead one along as before; when the living badger, deter- 

 mined not to quit its companion, lay down on it, taking it 

 gently by one ear, and in that manner was drawn into the 

 midst of the village; nor could dogs, boys, or men induce 

 it to quit its situation: and to their shame be it said, they 

 had the inhumanity to kill the poor animal, and afterwards 

 to burn it, declaring it could be no other than a witch." 

 The Ratel "^ ne ^ ate ^ (Mellivora capensis) of South and 

 and the East Africa and the Skunk of Canada belong 

 Skunk. to this family. The Ratel is a small animal 

 standing from ten to twelve inches high, with a very tough 

 skin, which is so loose that, to quote Sparrman, " If anybody 

 catches hold of the Ratel by the hind part of his neck, he 

 is able to turn round, as it were, in his skin, and bite the 



