MAMMALIA. ¥ERJE. Bear. 187 



373 i8. White Badger. — IT. Mete'i alba. 



Of a white colour on the upper parts, and yellovvlfh white below. BriiT. quad. 185. 



374 y. Spotted Badger. — IT. Meles macula ta. 



Of a white colour, marked with reddifh yellow and dufky fpots. Ridingcr, allerl. thicr. 



t. 24. 



Inhabits Europe and the north of Alia, as far as the northern provinces of Perfia and China, and 

 in Japan. — The White Badger is faid by M. Briflon to have been brought from New York ; it has 

 very fmall eyes, and very fhort legs, and is only one foot nine inches long, with a tail of nine inches: 

 This variety, or fpecies, is by Mr Bewick fuppofed to be the fame animal with the Sand Bear, already 



• defcribed. The fpotted variety is very rare, nor is it mentioned from what country it was brought. 

 The Badger lives in woody places, in the clefts of rocks, or among ltones, and in burrows or holes, 

 of its own digging, but from which he is often driven by the Fox, which is not fo well adapted for 

 burrowing in the earth. It is very cleanly, and always allots a particular place for its excrement: The 



■ male and female live together in pairs, propagate in November, or the beginning of December, and, 

 after nine weeks, the female brings forth from three to five. young ones at a birth: It lives on infects, 

 eggs, roots, fruits, the leaves of Secale, Lathyrus, and other vegetables, and on rabbits •, keeps in its 

 hole all day, and only goes abroad during night: It is very indolent, and fleeps much, yet grows pro- 

 digioufly fat. During the fevere weather of winter, it remains in a torpid ftate in its hole, flceping on 

 a commodious bed made of dried grafs. The Badger is furniihed with a tranfverfe orifice, about an 

 inch deep, between the tail and anus, which difcharges a fetid white matter, which the animal is fond 

 of fucking ; the fore-teeth are fix in each jaw, equal, fimple, and parallel to each other; the eyes are 

 provided with a white membrana nidtitans, capable of covering the whole ball ; the female has fix 

 teats, two on the bread, and four on the belly ; the feet are fhort, and are furniihed with five claws, 

 thofe on the fore feet being very long and ftraight ; The Common Badger is about two feet and a 

 half in length, and the tail fix inches; it is of a very clumfy make, weighing from fifteen to thirty- 

 four pounds ; it runs very flowly, defends itfelf againft dogs with great vigour, biting very feverely, 

 and being very tenacious of life. It may be tamed, if caught young ; and the iiefh, when well fed, 

 •makes excellent hams and bacon. 



375 6. American Badger.-*— 5. Urftis Libra doritts. 7. 



The tail is covered with long dirty yellow hairs, tipped with, white, having the end 

 dufcy ; the throat, breaft, and belly, are white ; the fore feet have only four toes. 

 Schreber, iii. 520. t. cxlii. B. 



American Badger. Penn. hill:, of quad. n. 179. ,5. Aret. zool. n. 23 Carkajou. Sm. Buff. vii. 



285. pi. 2. ccxl. 



Inhabits Labradore, and the country about Kudfon's Bay, in North America. — This animal, which 

 has a very ftrong rcfemblance to the Common or European Badger, is fomewhat finaller, and the 

 hair is longer, more foft, and filky ; the ears are fhort, and of a white colour edged with black ; the 

 head is white, with a black fine on each fide running from the fore -head, clofe to the inner corner of 



A a 2 the 



