270 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



more especially) by their extent, the effect of which is 

 to limit that of the carnivorous teeth, and, consequently, 

 to diminish the animal's appetite of flesh, and his facul- 

 ties of using it. In fact, the tuberculous molar of the 

 upper jaw, occupies a space equal to that of the carni- 

 vorous molar, and of the two false molars which precede 

 it: from whence it happens that the lower half of the 

 under carnivorous tooth is augmented, that it may be 

 properly opposed to the large tuberculous tooth above. 

 This makes it, in fact, one-half tuberculous, and one-half 

 carnivorous. The Badger, besides, has two false molars 

 in the upper jaw, and four below. But the first of the 

 latter, is merely a rudiment. The canines and incisives 

 are similar to those of all the other genera of the Marten 

 family, i. e., the first resemble the canines of all the Car- 

 nassiers, and it is the same with the upper incisors. The 

 middle incisor, in each lower maxillary, is not inserted on 

 the same line as the two others, but much farther in. It is 

 only parallel with them in the extremity of its crown, and 

 on this account it projects more forward. 



Although the Badger approaches the Martens by its sys- 

 tem of dentition, it is far from resembling those fine- 

 formed, light, and lively animals, in which particulars, 

 probably, no other family of the Mammalia can equal them. 

 It is on the contrary, heavy and gross; its body is thick, 

 its movements slow, and its physiognomy announces neither 

 promptitude of intelligence, nor vivacity of passion. Ac- 

 cordingly, we find that it leads a most gloomy and solitary 

 life. 



It is an animal entirely plantigrade, with five toes on each 

 foot, united almost to their extremity by a thick membrane, 

 not much susceptible of extension, and armed with digging 

 claws, extremely strong. On the two feet, the second and 

 third toes are equal, and the longest. The first and fourth 



