214 



THli BADGER AND WEASEL FAMILY. 



pretty broad transverse fissure forming the 

 opening of the pouch of the stink-gland, 

 which is almost quite destitute of hair. 



Like most species of its genus the badger 

 has a rough coarse fur mi.xed with pretty 

 long bristly hairs, and presenting the excep- 

 tional character of being darker on the under 

 side than on the back. The belly and paws 

 are black while the back is grayish yellow. 



Two longitudinal black stripes extend from 

 the snout backwards across the eyes and 

 ears. The hide was formerly much used in 

 making trunk-covers, wallets, and portman- 

 teaus. 



The dentition exhibits a carnivorous char- 

 acter only in the incisors, canines, and pre- 

 molars, while the true molars, especially those 

 of the upper jaw, are very broad, and bear 



Fig. io8. — The Common Badger (Mtles taxiis). page 213. 



witness to an adaptation for a vegetable diet. 

 The animal attains a length of 2^ feet and 

 a weight of about 55 lbs. 



In fable the badger plays the role of a 

 peace-loving, gentle, and cautious Philistine, 

 who loves beyond everything his comfort, his 

 family, and his house, but who may become 

 furious if alarmed or disturbed in his habits. 

 He is the cousin and friend of the fox, whom 

 he vainly seeks to lead back to the path of 

 virtue, but whose defence he undertakes as a 

 good-natured relative in spite of all the ma- 

 licious tricks that Reynard plays him. With 

 the exception of this friendship, which can 

 scarcely be said to exist, the leading traits 

 in the character of the badger are .summed 

 up with great ingenuity in these fables. 



The badger is distributed throughout the 

 temperate zone of the Eurasian continent, 



and extends even to Japan. Everywhere 

 its habits are the same. With great circum- 

 spection it chooses out the place in which to 

 dig its hole, preferring the slopes on the 

 sunny side of lonely wooded hills. Passages 

 of 8 to 10 yards in length, and sometimes 

 as many as ten in number, lead to a large 

 underground chamber, which is made warm 

 with mess and dried leaves, and is inhabited 

 either by a solitary male or by a female and 

 her young. Only two or three of the.se 

 passages serve as the ordinary means of 

 egress, the others are intended for ventila- 

 tion, or for flight in case of urgent danger. 

 The utmost cleanline.ss is maintained in this 

 dwelling, which is excavated at the depth 

 of some yards below the surface of the 

 ground. 



In this comfortable and safe habitation the 



