194 



CARNIVOBA FISSIPEDIA. 



covered with long black and white hairs that grow much 

 longer on the sides than on the back; and the skins are 

 used principally for making robes, muffs and other furs. 

 The European or Common Badger (Meles-taxus) is much 

 coarser and darker than the American species; and the 

 hairs of most of the skins of this variety are used for 

 brush-making, although the great majority of skins used 

 for that purpose come from Russia. 



AMERICAN BADGER. 



The brush manufacturers shave the skins on the leather 

 side, then wash them in alkali to remove the grease, after 

 which the hair is cut off close to the pelt and sorted into 

 lengths ; the longest hairs being used for graining brushes, 

 and the medium length for shaving brushes, while the 

 tooth brushes are made of the shortest hairs. 



Badgers at one time were very abundant in England, 

 and are still found in the southern part of Great Britain. 



The Ratel, a small, clumsy looking creature, about the 

 size and appearance of the Badger, is often called the 

 Honey Badger. There are two distinct species of this 

 animal; the (Mellivora-indica), found in India; and the 

 (Mellivora-ratel), which has its habitat in Africa. A 

 black Ratel. that ranges the Ituri forests, is known as the 



