SG 



mam:\ialia. 



FiB.CS.- 



,011 Badt'er. 



coniuiniily licld erect]. Thuir toes arc rnucli euYclo;)<><l in the skiii ; and, what emineiitly (lioting-nlshes 



them, is a pouch situate beneath the tail, 

 from whieli exudes a fatty, fetid hunio;ir, [us 

 in Die Skunks, Weasels, Sec, to v.liieli the 

 Badgers are very closely allied]. The long 

 claws of tlieir fore-feet enaljle them toljurrow 

 with much facility. 



The European Ba(l2:er (Ursia- nu-fi.'x, Lin.; M. 

 tarus, Auct.) — Greyish above, beneath black, with 

 a dusky lianil on each side of the head. That of 

 America (Mel. hudsonius [ (V) M. labradorixs, Sa- 

 bine; Ur.sit-'i iaxus, Schreb.j does not appear to 

 differ essentially. [It is even ^encrically very dis- 

 tinct, pertaining to the next division. A second 

 species of Badger, however, appears to me to ex- 

 ist in the Balysaur of India (Arc(ont/x collaris, 

 F. Cuv. ; Mydaiis collmis, (iray,) which M. F. 

 Cuvier has represented much too Hog-like in 

 his ti^ure ; tlie snout being scarcely longer than 

 that of the European Badger, the fur somewhat 

 coarser, and the tail (which almost reaches the grouml) not so scantily covered with hair as staled.* A 

 cranium figured as that of the Balysaur by i\Ir. Gray, in his iiublished series of Gen. Hardwicke's drawings, 

 appears to me to indicate another species, distinguished by the long vacant interspace between the inferior canine 

 und first existing molar. This geuus would seem to be pecrdiar to the eastern continent. 



The Taxels {Ta.rldea, "Waterh.)— 

 Are the reputed Badgers of America, but which present a very different cranium, and more carnivorous 

 dentition: their cutting molar is increased, aud the tubercular reduced, to an equal size ; the latter 



having a triangular crown : skull widest at 

 the occiput, where it is abruptly truncated ; 

 the auditory ludlce much developed; and 

 art icida ting s ill" face of the lower jaw ex- 

 tended, but not locking as in the Badgers. 

 Their claws are longer ami stouter, enabliug 

 them til burrow \\ith great rapiditv, 



Ou>: iinly is clearly ascertained, the T. labra- 

 ihiriii 'J.-r.s/f.-'i: taxus, Schreb.) Remarkable for 

 the line quality of its fur. Dr. Richardson 

 has taken a Marmot from the stomach uf this 

 animal. 



The Bharsiah {I'rsofajus, Hodgson). 



Four cheek-teeth above and Itelow, com- 



Fig. 2fl.— Trixel. 



pnsmg two superior and three inferior false 

 molars; the tubercular of the upper jaw transverse, and smaller than the carnivorous tooth. General 

 conformation similar to that of the Badger, but without external ears. 



But one species is known {N. inauritiis, Hodg., As-iat. Res. xix. 60, and Jm/ni. As. Soc v. Ci2]), from the 

 vicinity of Ni|)5.1, scantily covered witli coarse hair. It is completely plantiirradc aud fossorial, lIw clling in bur- 

 rows on the southern slopes of the hills, which it seldom leaves during the day.] 



The Wolverines (Galo, Slorr) — 

 Have also been placed in the Bear genus by Linnaeus ; but they rather approximate the Martens in 



their dentil ioti and goicral character, according only with the Bears in their plantigrade gait. They 

 have tliree false moiurs above, and four below, anterior to tlie carnivoruus tooth, \\liich is well cha- 

 racterized; and behind this a small tubercular, which is wider than long. Their upjicr carnivorous 

 tooth lias but one small inlornal tubercle, so that they have nearly the same ilenial svstem as the 



* TliLTf is 11 Hijnre, in I'M^'irk's Qiiiidiiip.ih, (ipparenilv nf ttiis i 'Cnwirr TiU'n.iijrrie, Tlic ili.'ScriiiLi..'ii iiitiin.ilta its near rofiiiM.-ince 

 «pLtits, UliL-n fn^ii a tecuunKly uQliriilUiy JiiJiviilual u.hjIiiilM in [lie | i.o Llic uominou li.uli^ur. 



