4 8 THE MAMMALS OF THE WOODS 



Africa and the southern slope of the Himalaya in the south to beyond the limit 

 of trees in the north, and from the British Isles in the west to the far east of 

 Asia, as well as in the corresponding latitudes of North America. Local races of 

 the species are, however, peculiar to many districts. The Egyptian and Arabian, 

 or Nile foxes, for instance, are greyish red, with grey sides, and the lower part of 

 the neck, breast, and abdomen brownish black, the tip of the tail being white. 

 In Poland, Sicily, and Sardinia the foxes are black beneath. There are also several 

 varieties in North America; one being golden-red, with white legs and a black 

 tail ; another is exactly like the European fox ; while the third is the black or 

 silver-fox, whose fur is very valuable. This is either of a brown-black or totally 

 black colour, with a sort of shimmering of hoar-frost. Foxes coloured like this 

 variety are occasionally found in Europe ; their fur is much more valuable than 

 that of the ordinary fox, and is especially appreciated in Russia* 



The weasel family (Mustelidce) is represented in western and 

 central Europe by the martens, weasels, badgers, and otters. Most 

 members of the group are characterised by their long tails, slender bodies, and 

 short legs ; and they are small or of medium size, none of them being very large. 

 They vary considerably in the marking and colouring of their coats, and several 

 of the northern species are dark-haired during the summer and light-haired 

 during the winter; being thereby distinguished from all other beasts-of-prey, 

 except the Arctic fox. Many have fur of a uniform colour ; but in some cases 

 the fur shows strongly contrasted light and dark colours, thus making their 

 owners seem the most conspicuous of all mammals, as, contrary to the general rule, 

 they are light above and dark below. They are occasionally spotted or striped, but 

 seldom have light and dark rings round the tail, although they are sometimes 

 marked with one dark or light band along their whole length. They are met with 

 in every continent except Australia, but are found mainly in the temperate zones. 



The badgers are distinguished from the other members of the family by their 

 strong claws for digging up the ground. The one representative of the group in 

 Europe is the true badger (Meles taxus); but the group ranges over the whole 

 of Asia as well. Badgers are of short, compact build, with a pointed nose and 

 short ears and tail. Their coat is long and coarse, and they have a scent-gland 

 beneath the tail. The European badger is marked with a dark stripe on each side 

 of the head, running from the muzzle across the eyes and the white-haired ears ; 

 the rest of the head being white. The back is whitish grey mixed with black : on 

 the sides of the body, and the tail, the coat is red, while the under-parts and feet 

 are blackish brown. A badger's skin, which is covered with long and coarse hair, 

 hangs very loosely on his body, so that, when attacked, the creature can always 

 turn round somehow to bite. The species is found all over Europe, except northern 

 Scandinavia and Sardinia, and in northern Asia extends to the river Lena. 

 Possibly it may also inhabit Syria, but it is not quite known where its range ends 

 and that of the Persian badger (a smaller species) begins. 



In many parts of the Continent the badger is still common, and sometimes 

 does much damage to vineyards : it lives in the depths of the forest, or in thickets 

 on rocks and quarries. Its home is a spacious hole in which it remains all day 



