THE RAT EL. 



373 



coating of fur is now evident. The animal is necessarily exposed to the attacks of the 

 infuriated bees when it lays siege to their fastnesses, and if it were not defended by a 

 coating which is impenetrable to their stings, it would soon fall a victim to the poisoned 

 weapons of its myriad foes. 



In every way, the Ratel is well adapted to the circumstances in which it is placed. 

 Not being a swift animal, it cannot escape from foes by its speed ; but if it can gain but 

 a few minutes' respite, it can sink itself into the ground by the vigorous action of its 

 powerful paws, and thus can avoid the attacks of almost any antagonist. Should it be 

 overtaken before it can reach its accustomed home, or dig a new one, it throws itself on 

 its back, and uses its teeth and claws with such force that it will beat off any ordinary 

 antagonist. The extreme looseness of its skin renders it a very formidable combatant, 

 for when it is seized by any part of its body, it can turn round, as it were, in its skin, 

 and fix its teeth most unexpectedly in the body of its foe. 



Partly for this reason, and partly from the singular endurance of its nature, the 



RATEL. -yWe///vor Ratel, 



Ratel is most tenacious of life, and will be comparatively unhurt by attacks that would 

 suffice to kill many an animal of ten times its size. 



During the daytime, the Ratel remains in its burrow ; but as evening begins to draw 

 near, it emerges from its place of repose, and sets off on its bee-hunting expeditions. 

 As the animal is unable to climb trees, a bee's nest that is made in a hollow tree-limb 

 is safe from its attacks. But the greater number of wild bees make their nests in the 

 deserted mansions of the termite, or the forsaken burrows of various animals. It is said 

 that the Ratal finds its way towards the bee's nests by watching the direction in which 

 the bees return towards their homes. 



The movements of the Ratel are not at all graceful, but the animal is lively enough 

 in captivity, and always affords much amusement to the spectator by the grotesque 

 character of its recreation. One of these creatures, which is familiar to every visitor 

 of the Zoological Gardens, and is in possession of a tolerably large house, is in the 

 habit of constantly going through the most extraordinary performances, and thereby 

 attracting the attention of a numerous body of spectators. 



In the enclosure that has been allotted to this animal, the Ratel has, by dint of con- 

 stantly running in the same direction, made for itself an oval path among the straw that 

 is laid upon the ground. It proceeds over the course which it has worked out, in a 

 quick active trot, and every time that it reaches either end of the course, it puts its head 

 on the ground, turns a complete summersault, and resumes its course. At intervals, 



