6/2 



THE CARNIVORES 



Habits 



more especially in the southern and western parts of the continent. Mr. Blanford 

 has some doubts as to whether the African and Indian ratels are really entitled to 



be regarded as distinct species ; but the former, as shown 

 in our illustration on p. 671, is distinguished by the pres- 

 ence of a well-marked white line dividing the dark area 

 of the under parts from the gray of the back. 



Both species are strictly nocturnal in their 

 habits, and reside during the day in burrows, 

 which are probably excavated by themselves. The Indian 

 8 species is most commonly met with in hilly regions, or 

 along the high-scarped banks of the great rivers, which 

 fr >cf afford good situations in which to construct its burrows. 

 Ratels generally go about in pairs, and feed on rats, birds, 

 j0, frogs, insects, and honey; while in cultivated districts they 

 commit frequent raids on poultry. The accusation of dig- 

 ging up corpses from graveyards, which has earned for the 

 Indian species the name of " Gravedigger " among Anglo- 

 Indians, is, according to Mr. Blanford, probably unfounded. 

 The African species exhibits a very strongly-marked taste 

 for honey, together with the larvae of bees in the combs ; 

 digging out the latter from hollow trees by the aid of its 

 powerful front claws. The account given by Sparrmann of 

 premoiar or flesh-tooth; c ca- the rate i s mo( j e of operations when about to attack a bees' 



nine tooth, or tusk (broken ). 



nest is not, however, to be wholly relied upon, since it is 

 largely drawn from native sources of information. 



In captivity ratels are easily tamed, and frequently exhibit a peculiar habit of 

 turning complete somersaults each time they walk up and down the cages in which 

 they are confined. 



From the rocks of the Siwalik hills of Northeastern India, belong- 

 ing to the Pliocene period, and likewise from formations of correspond- 

 ing age in the Punjab, there have been obtained the remains of ratels closely allied 

 to the living species; so that it may be concluded that India was the original home 

 of these animals, and that thence they migrated into Africa. 



THE RIGHT HALF OF THE 

 PALATE OF THE FOS- 

 SIL INDIAN RATEL. 

 m. molar tooth; p. 4, fourth 



Fossil Ratels 



THE AMERICAN BADGER 



Genus Taxidea 



The American badger ( Taxidea americana} brings us to the first of four genera 

 which may be collectively called badgers, and the whole of which are confined to the 

 Northern Hemisphere. They all have the same number of teeth as in the martens, 

 that is to say, 38, of which f are incisors, y canines, f premolars, and ^ molars on 

 each side of the jaws. All of them have stoutly-built bodies, and short limbs adapted 

 for digging; while, with one exception, the tail is very short. They are further 



