MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 87 



sides of the extreme muzzle are dark, like the top of the head; 

 from about opposite the canines the sides of the head and ears 

 are white, continuous with the white of the chin and throat, 

 but interrupted by a large dusky patch in front of the ear. The 

 whole body and tail above are an intimately blended mixture 

 of blackish with white, hoary gray, and tawny. Owing to the 

 length and coarseness of the pelage, the museum specimens 

 present a patchy or streaky appearance. The feet are dark 

 brown or blackish; the claws are generally light colored, es- 

 pecially those of the fore feet." 



The badger is preeminently fossorial and extremely shy, 

 being almost as difficult to observe above ground as the pouch- 

 ed gophers. The true home of the animal is the prairie region 

 of the upper Missouri, where its holes are said to honey- 

 comb the earth. 



The badger is the determined enemy of the spermophiles 

 and field mice and feeds on all animal matter afforded. It pos- 

 sesses itself almost perfect immunity from all enemies but man. 

 In spite of its retiring habit the badger is no coward, as the 

 old amusement of badger baiting testifies. Endurance and 

 great strength are combined with marvelous vitality. The 

 habits during the breeding season are unknown, there being 

 three or four young at a birth. Badgers may be trapped by 

 placing a fox trap at the mouth of the burrow, or by flooding 

 in early spring. 



The animal is, like its European relative, fond of honey 

 which it is adept in securing. The European species breeds in 

 October, when the sexes are associated in the same burrow, but 

 at other times they live the life of hermits. The young, three 

 to five in number, are born in March and are carefully cared 

 for by the mother. In northern regions the animal hibernates, 

 but further south adapts itself to the warmer climate. 



BUB-FAMILY MEPHITIN^E. 



THE SKUNKS. 



This is a comparatively small group confined to America, 

 where it is represented by two genera, one of which only is 

 North American while the other is nearly confined to the south- 

 ern division of the new world. Although seemingly so well 

 entitled to an exclusive position by the peculiarity through 

 which they are notorious, the skunks are in many respects 



