6'6 B A D G E R. Clafs II 



colors; the bottoms of a dirty yellowIHi white -,% 

 the middle black ; the ends afh-colored, or grey |i 

 from whence the proverb, As grey as a badger. The 

 hairs which cover the tail are very long, and of the 

 fame colors with thofe of the body : the throat and-' 

 under parts of the body are black : the legs and feet 

 of the fame color, are very fhort, {Irong and thick t 

 each foot is divided into five toes; thofe on the fore- 

 feet are armed with long claws, well adapted for 

 digging -, in walking the badger treads on its whole 

 heel, like the bear ; which brings the belly very near 

 the ground. Immediately below the tail, between 

 that and the anus, is a narrow tranfverfe orifice, which: 

 opens into a kind of pouch^from whence exudes a^ 

 white fubftance of a very fetid fmell y this feems pe- 

 culiar to the badger and the Hy^na. 



Naturalifts once diftinguifhed the badger, by the 

 names of the fwine-badger, and the dog- badger ; from 

 the fuppofed refemblance of their heads to thofe ani- 

 mals, and fo divided them into two fpecies : but the 

 moft accurate obfervers have been able to difcover 

 only one kind; that, whofe head and nofe refembie 

 thofe of the dog. 



Badgers are hunted In the winter nights, for their 

 flefii and their fkin : the hind quarters may be made' 

 into hams, not inferior in goodnefs to the beft bacon ;. 

 the fkin, when dreffed with the hair on, is ufed fop 

 piftol furniture ; the hair is frequently ufed for mak- 

 ing brufhes to foften fhades in painting ; which are? 

 Galled fweetening tools. 



Genus: 



