352 Field Museum or Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



The Badger is a shy animal, largely nocturnal in its habits, and is 

 rarely seen even in localities where it is common. It is clumsy and slow 

 in its movements and subsists largely upon ground Rodents, such as 

 Prairie Squirrels, Mice, etc., which it digs out with little difficulty, 

 although it also eats insects, snails, honey, young birds and eggs. Its 

 home is a burrow in the ground in dry and preferably sandy soil. Kenni- 

 cott says its underground habitation is sometimes 6 feet deep and 30 

 feet in length, but he found others only 2 feet below the surface and but 

 6 feet in length (/. c, p. 251). All authorities agree that the Badger 

 hibernates in cold weather, at least in the northern part of its range; 

 but the length of its winter sleep apparently depends largely upon the 

 temperature. The young are usually bom in May and number from 

 2 to 5. 



Badgers are provided with anal glands secreting a noxious smelling 

 fluid, but our species cannot forceably eject it like the Skunks. The 

 skins of Badgers make very good fur and are much used for robes, as 

 well as muffs and tippets of the cheaper grade. The hair is also used in 

 the manufacture of shaving brushes and artists' materials. 



Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin: 

 Wisconsin— (M. P. M.) Milton, Rock Co., i; (O. C.) Douglas Co. 



(skull), i; Milton, Rock Co. (skull), i; (S. C.) Dodge Co., 5; (O.) 



Walworth Co., 1 = 9. 



Subfamily MUSTELIN/E. Wolverine, Martens, 

 Minks, Weasels, etc. 



Genus GULO Storr. 



Gulo Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 34. Type Mustela gulo Linn. 

 Body stout; hair thick and long; claws large and curved; tail short 

 and bushy; ears short; rostrum short; zygomata broadly expanded; 

 bullae laterally elongated, forming a tubular auditory meatus; upper 

 molar extending inward at right angle with the camassial; last lower 

 molar small; feet semi-plantigrade. 



Dental formula: I. ~^^ C.^^j Pm. ^—^^ M. ^^=34. 

 T,-T, i-i 4-4 2-2 



