THE RATEL. 77 



its hide, that it is said a pack of dogs, sufficient in number to 

 overcome a moderate sized lion, have sometimes failed in their 

 attack upon a ratel. The crown of the head is of a whitish grey 

 colour 5 and, from the back of the head to the root of the tail, 

 the upper surface of the body is of a dull ash grey, which colour 

 strongly contrasts with the jet black of the under parts of the 

 animal. It has no external ears, but merely a slightly elevated 

 margin, surrounding an auditory aperture $ the snout protrudes 

 beyond the lower jaw, and terminates in a soft and hairless 

 muzzle ; and the tongue is rough, and resembles that of the 

 feline tribe in having its horny papillae sharp, elevated, and 

 pointing towards the root. The legs are short and stout, and 

 the feet have five toes, surmounted by arched unretractile claws, 

 which are grooved beneath, and those of the fore-feet are about 

 an inch and a half in length, being longer than those of the 

 hinder pair, and well adapted for digging. 



Sparrman, and all subsequent travellers to the Cape of Good 

 Hope, give us to suppose that the ratel subsists entirely by 

 plundering the subterranean nests of the African bees. But it 

 has been justly observed, that it would require more positive 

 evidence to convince a zoologist, " that an animal, whose teeth 

 in number and disposition correspond more closely with those 

 of the cat than any other mammal with which we are acquainted, 



