MARTEN. 



iduced. The hair of this one, on the other hand, 

 ihort all over the body and tail, and it is hard and 

 F. In the others the neck and anterior extremities 

 ' rather more slender than the posterior parts of 

 i animal, whereas in this one the neck is very 

 ck and stout, and ihe fore legs are longer, as well 

 stronger, than the hind ones. The whole appear- 

 e, indeed, indicates a difference of habit in the 

 rnal, varying as much from the mephitic animals 

 America as these vary from the polecats and 

 rteus. For these reasons it cannot naturally be 

 ssed in the same group or family either with the 

 ; or the other, but must stand apart as an individual 

 'cies in the system, having no generic and few 

 lily resemblances to any of the other mammalia. 

 I'he geography of the animal, as ably explained by 

 . Horsfield, is as peculiar as itself. In the low and 

 tile parts of Java there is not a vestige of it, and 

 has not a name in the language of those people 



inhabit the parts of the island that may be strictly 

 led tropical. It is a mountaineer, and, though in- 

 )iiing almost immediately under the equator, it 

 abits a temperate climate. It is never found 

 :ept at an elevation of more than seven thousand 

 t above the level of the sea, and at this great ele- 

 ion it does not inhabit one continuous tract, but a 

 nber of detached places. The profile of Java, like 

 t of many of the other volcanic islands in that part 

 the world, is very peculiar when viewed in its 

 gth. It does not present one great central ele- 

 ion, to which all the hills and slopes are subor- 

 ate, as is the case with islands which bear evi- 

 ice of being raised from the bottom of the sea 

 masse. It presents a succession of conical peaks, 

 ich rise high above the intermediate parts at the 

 latest elevations of these ; and thus, if a traveller 

 ises along the middle line of the island, he finds an 

 jrnation of climates and productions which contrasts 

 y strongly with each other. Those elevations are 



native place of the telagon, although it is not 

 lally abundant on them all. On the steep conical 

 iks, which rise from the warm plains by continuous 

 ilivities, it is comparatively rare ; but where the 

 mud at an elevation equal to, or greater than that 

 ich has been mentioned, expands into breadth, it 

 /ery abundant. Thus it is really an animal of the 

 ,ins, although of those plains only which are on the 

 imtain tops. There are many such plains in Java, 



1 they bear nearly the same relation to the fertile 

 ; pestilent valleys on the shores, which the table 

 d of Mexico does to the low and pestilent country 

 the west side of the Gulf. 



With European settlers, and also with the Chinese, 

 ise are the favourite places of Java, for permanent 

 idence, even by those whose business is on the 

 i-coast. They are very healthy and very pleasant, 

 1 they admit of the cultivation of wheat and other 

 ropeari grain, and also of many fruits and culinary 

 retables, while they are totally unfit for the growth 

 rice, the staple and almost the only grain of the 

 r districts. These circumstances give Java, not- 

 hstanding the extreme insalubrity of its shores, 

 isiderable advantages over India, and indeed over 

 st of the warm countries in the East, inasmuch as 

 ongenial climate may be found for the inhabitants 

 ilmost every latitude on the face of the earth ; and 

 1 European chooses his residence high enough, he 

 ly enjoy a temperate climate, and one which is 

 ny and salubrious all the year round. The telagon, 



as we hare said, is very numerous in those plains, 

 and it is often particularly annoying to the cultivators, 

 from the facility which it has in rooting up the ground, 

 and the offensive odour which it gives out when an- 

 noyed. The name telagon was given to it in conse- 

 quence of the angle at which the nose is truncated 

 off, which is nearly the same as that in the hog, and 

 of itself would indicate not merely an animal which 

 burrows in the ground for its dwelling, but one which 

 turns up the earth in search of its food. In the 

 plantations of the cultivators it destroys the roots of 

 the young plants, and thus produces much greater 

 waste than a larger animal feeding only upon full- 

 grown vegetables. So great are the depredations 

 which it commits, that in some districts the inhabitants 

 live in considerable dread of its visitations. It inha- 

 bits the rich black* soil only, and lives under ground 

 during the day, but comes abroad in the night, and 

 leaves very decided marks of the laborious working 

 of so comparatively small an animal. Its lodging is 

 generally concealed under the roots of a tree. It is 

 of a circular form, several feet in diameter, and worked 

 firm and regular on the inner surface. The entrance 

 is by a subterraneous passage two or three yards in 

 length; and the animal is at some pains in concealing 

 the opening to this by leaves, grass, and other vege- 

 table matters. These animals are not social, but 

 they live in pairs, and we believe the pairing is per- 

 manent, continuing intermediate between the broods. 

 The litter is not understood to consist of more than 

 two or three ; but it is not correctly ascertained how 

 many litters are produced in the year, or whether 

 there are more than one. 



Besides the roots of plants, these animals eat a 

 vast number of earth-worms, which are both abundant 

 and of large size in the rich upland plains of Java ; 

 and it is highly probable that its chief use in wild 

 nature is to regulate the numbers of those worms, 

 because it is found only in grounds where they are 

 abundant. It is not very probable that it feeds on 

 birds, and its mouth is not well adapted for contend- 

 ing with any of the mammalia. The fore teeth in 

 the lower jaw stand out nearly as a continuation of 

 the jaw itself, and thus are incapable of biting any- 

 thing which is hard or tough ; and the canines are 

 also small and feeble. In every part of its character, 

 therefore, this is a most singular animal, and an ani- 

 mal adapted to a singular locality. 



We shall close our account with another very short 

 extract from Dr. Horsfield, descriptive of its manners, 

 not as tamed, but as kept by him in temporary cap- 

 tivity. " The mydaus," says he, "is not ferocious in 

 its manners, and taken young, like the badger, it 

 might easily be tamed. An individual, which I kept 

 some time in confinement, afforded me an opportunity 

 of observing its disposition ; it soon became gentle, 

 and reconciled to its situation, and did not at any time 

 emit the offensive fluid ; I carried it with me from 

 Mountain Prahee to Bladeran, a village on the de- 

 clivity of that mountain, where the temperature was 

 more moderate. While a drawing was made, the 

 animal was tied to a small stake ; it moved about 

 quietly, burrowing the ground with its snout and feet, 

 as if in search of food, without taking notice of the 

 bystanders, or making violent efforts to disengage 

 itself; on earth-worms (lumbrici) being brought, it 

 ate voraciously ; holding one extremity of a worm 

 with its claws, its teeth were employed in tearing the 

 other ; having consumed about ten or twelve, it be- 

 P2 



