BADGER. 125 



The Weasel is subject to considerable variation in size, 

 vhich once gave rise to the idea that there might possibly be 

 :wo species. Thus Gilbert White wrote that " some intelligent 

 ountry people have a notion that we have, in these parts, a 

 ;pecies of the genus Musielinum^ besides the Weasel, Stoat, 

 ?erret, and Polecat ; a little reddish beast, not much bigger 

 han a Field-Mouse, but much longer, which they call a CaneP 

 [t is. however, now ascertained that the so-called Cane, or 

 ^ine, is nothing more than an unusually small female Weasel. 

 5uch very small, although fully adult, females have been re- 

 corded not only from Hampshire, but likewise from Kent and 

 Sussex. 



As an example of the pugnacious habits of the Weasel, we 

 nay mention that (as we are informed by Mr. Harvie-Brown) 

 here is in the Banff Museum an extraordmary mummified 

 ;roup of these animals, found in a hole of an old tree-stump, 

 ill the members of which evidently perished while fighting 

 ogether. 



THE BADGERS. GENUS MELES. 



Meles^ Storr, Prodromus Method. Mamm. p. 34 (1780). 



The Badgers and their aUies, which are assigned to several dis- 

 inct genera, represent the second sub-family of the Musielidce^ 

 nd are characterised as follows. The feet are elongated, with 

 traight toes, and the claws non-retractile, slightly curved, 

 ounded, and blunt, those on the fore-feet being especially 

 longated. The upper molar tooth, although variable, is gener- 

 ;lly very large and elongated longitudinally. In habits the 

 Qembers of the sub-family are mostly terrestrial and burrowing 

 nimals, and the group has a wide geographical distribution, 

 Ithough unrepresented in South America. 



From their plantigrade feet, short ears and tail, and some- 

 what Bear-like general appearance and gait, the more typical 

 iadgers were long classed with the Bears, and even in the 



