118 



MAMMALIA — BADGER. 



white spots ; its hair is longer and coarser, its legs are shorter, and its feet 

 longer; but, like the raccoon, its tail is diversified with rings, alternately 

 black and fulvous; and to all its feet there are five claws. 



This animal has a practice of eating its own tail, which, Avhen not muti- 

 lated, is longer than its body, and which it generally rears aloft, and can 

 move with ease in any direction.* 



As for the coati in other respects, it is an animal of prey, which subsists 

 on flesh and blood, which, like the fox, destroys small animals and poultry, 

 hunts for the nests of little birds, and devours their eggs ; and it is probable 

 from this conformity of disposition, that some authors have considered the 

 coati as a species of small fox. It inhabits the woods of South America. 

 In pursuit of its prey, it climbs trees with much agility. When tamed, 

 which it easily is, it is fond of being caressed, but does not become much 

 attached to its ov.Tier. 



THE EUROPEAN BADGERi 



Is d lazy, distrustful, solitary animal, that retires far from the approach of 



* Godman says, " It has been considered very wonderful that this animal should eat Us 

 cncn tail, which certainly appears to be the fact. The extreme length of its tail, in wliich 

 the blood circulates but feebly, exposes it to the influence of the cold or frost; and the 

 exceedingly tormenting irritation produced thercl;y, leads the animal to gnaw and scratch 

 the tail to relieve the excessive itching. The disease spreads, and the anguish induces 

 the coatimundi to gnaw more furiously, and eventually his life is destroyed by the exten- 

 sion of the inflammation and irritation to the spine, &c." 



1 Taxrts vulffaris. The genus Ta.rus has six upper and six lower incisors ; two upper 

 and two lower canines ; ten upper and twelve lower molars. The first molar very smedl, 



