298 THE RATEL. 



minutes' respite, it can sink itself into the ground by the vigorous action of its powerful paws, 

 and thus can avoid the attacks of almost any antagonist. Should it be overtaken before it can 

 reach its accustomed home, or dig a new one, it throws itself on its back, and uses its teeth 

 and claws with such force that it will beat off any ordinary antagonist. The extreme loose- 

 ness of its skin renders it a very formidable combatant, for when it is seized by any part of its 

 body, it can turn round, as it were, in its skin, and fix its teeth most unexpectedly in the 

 body of its foe. 



Partly for this reason, and partly from the singular endurance of its nature, the Eatel is 

 most tenacious of life, and will be comparatively unhurt by attacks that would suffice to kill 

 many an animal of ten times its size. 



During the daytime, the Ratel remains in its burrow ; but as evening begins to draw near, 

 it emerges from its place of repose, and sets off on its bee-hunting expeditions. As the animal 

 is unable to climb trees, a bees' nest that is made in a hollow tree-limb is safe from its attacks. 

 But the greater number of wild bees make their nests in the deserted mansions of the termite, 

 or the forsaken burrows of various animals. It is said that the Ratel finds its way towards 

 the bees' nests by watching the direction in which the bees return towards their homes. 



The movements of the Ratel are not at all graceful, but the animal is lively enough in 

 captivity, and always affords much amusement to the spectator by the grotesque character of 

 its recreation. One of these creatures, which is familiar to every visitor of the Zoological 

 Gardens, and is in possession of a tolerably large house, is in the habit of constantly going 

 through the most extraordinary performances, and thereby attracting the attention of a 

 numerous body of spectators. 



In the enclosure that has been allotted to this animal, the Ratel has, by dint of constantly 

 running in the same direction, made for itself an oval path among the straw that is laid upon 

 the ground. It proceeds over the course which it has worked out, in a quick active trot, and 

 every time that it reaches either end of the course, it puts its head on the ground, turns a 

 complete summersault, and resumes its course. At intervals, it walks into its bath, rolls 

 about in the water for a second or two, and then addresses itself with renewed vigor to its 

 curious antics. 



The color of the Ratel is black upon the muzzle, the limbs, and the whole of the under 

 portions of the body ; but upon the upper part of the head, neck, back, ribs, and tail, the 

 animal is furnished with a thick covering of long hairs, which are of an ashy-gray color. A 

 bright gray stripe, about an inch in width, runs along each side and serves as a line of demar- 

 cation between the light and the dark portions of the fur. The ears of the Ratel are extremely 

 short. The lighter fur of the back is variously tinted in different individuals, some being of 

 the whitish-gray which has been already mentioned, and others remarkable for a decided 

 tinge of red. The length of the Cape Ratel is rather more than three feet, inclusive of the 

 tail, which measures eight or nine inches in length. In its walk it is plantigrade, and has so 

 much of the ursine character in its movements that it has been called the Indian or Honey 

 Bear. It is sometimes known under the title of " Bharsiah." 



The animal which has just been described is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, being 

 found in great profusion at the Cape of Good Hope. There is, however, an Indian species of 

 Ratel, which very closely resembles the African animal, and in the opinion of some writers is 

 identical with it. 



The Indian Ratel is said to be an extremely voracious animal, prowling about the vicinity 

 of human habitations, and not unf requently paying a visit to the burial-grounds in search of 

 newly interred corpses. It is necessary for the friends of the deceased person to barricade the 

 grave with thorny bushes, in order to defend it from the sharp and powerful claws of the 

 Ratel, which can work their way through the earth with singular rapidity. It is very com- 

 monly found along the course of the Ganges and Jumna, especially frequenting the lofty banks 

 for which those rivers are noted. 



It is so expert a burrower that it is said to be able to bury itself beneath the surface in 

 ten minutes, even though working in hard and stiff soil ; while digging, it plies its limbs with 

 such exceeding good-will that it flings the loosened soil to a distance of some yards. When 



