218 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Ratels. 



the Slavonian language its name is Rossomaka, 

 in allusion to its voracity; in Latin, however, it 

 is only known by the fictitious name of Gulo, from 

 its habits of gorging (gulo a gulositate appella- 

 tor)."— 01. Mag., ' His. de Gent, Septent.' 



The glutton is indeed a voracious animal, but by 

 no means formidable to man or the larger beasts, 

 though, in proportion to its size, its strength is very 

 great. Slow in its movements, it makes up by per- 

 severance and industry for this defect, and at a 

 steady pace pursues its prey for miles, hunts out 

 weak or dying animals, and destroys hares, mar- 

 mots, and birds, which it seizes unawares. 



Buffon, relying on the authority of Olaus Magnus, 

 Isbrandt, and others, has contributed to render cur- 

 rent the statement (which many later naturalists 

 have deemed not incredible) that the glutton has 

 recourse to the most subtle artifice in order to sur- 

 prise its victims, and that it lurks in the branches of 

 trees until the reindeer approaches to browse be- 

 neath, when it throws itself upon the unsuspecting 

 animal with unerring rapidity, fixes its strong claws 

 in the skin, and proceeds to tear the neck and 

 throat till the wretched victim falls exhausted and 

 dies, when the victor devours his prey at leisure. 

 GmeJin, in his account of his journey through 

 Siberia, after quoting the statement of Isbrandt, 

 adds, "This address of the Glutton managing to 

 seize animals by surprise is confirmed by all 

 hunters." .... "Although it feeds on all animals, 

 living or dead, it prefers the reindeer. It lies in 

 wait for large animals as a robber on the highway, 

 and it also surprises them as they lie asleep." To 

 the circumstance of the glutton fixing on the rein- 

 deer, and also the elk, Desmarest expressly alludes, 

 evidently relying on the narratives of the earlier 

 writers. On the contrary, Dr. Richardson, in his 

 able history of the American Glutton, or wolverene, 

 affirms that no such artifice is resorted to by that 

 variety, and he appears altogether to disbelieve the 

 account. No doubt the details have been exagge- 

 rated, still we are not altogether to throw aside the 

 assurances of old travellers of credit ; indeed we 

 think it very probable that the glutton may steal 

 upon the reindeer asleep, or attack enfeebled or 

 dying deer, or young fawns, and fixing on the great 

 blood-vessels of the throat (as the weasel does when 

 attacking the hare), thus destroy its victims. 

 GmelkCDr. Richardson, and Mr. Graham agree in 

 the fact that the glutton is extremely annoying to 

 the fur-hunters, visiting their traps and devouring 

 the animals taken in them. In Siberia it rifles the 

 traps of the sable and corsac fox ; and, as Mr. Gra- 

 ham observes, in Northern America it will follow 

 " the marten-hunter's path round a line of traps ex- 

 tending 40,50, or 60 miles, and render the wdmle 

 unserviceable merely to come at the baits, which 

 are generally the head of a partridge on a bit of 

 dried venison. They are not fond of the martens 

 themselves, but never fail of tearing them in pieces 

 or of burying them in the snow by the side of the 

 path at a considerable distance from the trap. Drifts 

 of snow often conceal the repositories thus made, in 

 which case they furnish a regale to the hungry fox, 

 whose sagacious nostril guides him unerringly to the 

 spot. Two or three foxes are often seen following 

 the wolverene for this purpose." During the sum- 

 mer the beaver is the common prey of this animal. 



The glutton is nocturnal, cunning, and deter- 

 mined ; it fights very resolutely, and is more than a 

 match for a single dog, its strength being very great. 

 Its fur is in much request, especially that of the 

 Siberian animal, which is dark and beautifully 

 glossy. The length of the glutton, exclusive of the 

 tail, is about two feet six inches; that of the tail, 

 including the long full fur, ten inches. The female 

 breeds once a year, the cubs being from two to four 

 in number. Their fur is soft, downy, and of a pale 

 yellowish white. 



966. — The Grison 

 (Galictis vittata, Bell); Gulo vittatus, Desmarest; 

 Viverra vittata, Linn.; Petit furet, D'Azara; Gri- 

 sonia' vittata, Gray; Lutra vittata, Traill; Ursus 

 Braziliensis, Thunberg ; Fouine de la Guyane, Buff. 

 * Suppl. III.' The grison is a native of the intertro- 

 pical provinces of America, Guiana, Paraguay, and 

 Brazil. It is remarkable for its sanguinary and 

 fierce disposition, and the disgusting odour of the 

 secretion of its scent-glands. A specimen was living 

 some time since in the menagerie of the Zoological 

 Society, and its death afforded us an opportunity of 

 investigating its internal anatomy. (' Zoological 

 Proceedings,' 1833, p. 140.) In its figure the grison 

 is very elongated, the head is flat, and the muzzle 

 somewhat acute ; the general colour is grizzled 

 black ; the top of the head and neck grey, with a 

 white semi-lunar shaped band across the forehead, 

 extending to the shoulders. Length of body one 

 foot six inches ; of tail six inches and a half. A 

 second and larger species has been characterized by 

 Mr. Bell, under the name of Galictis Allamandi. 

 Linnaeus applied the name of Mustek barbata to a 



large musteline animal inhabiting the woods of 

 Brazil and Paraguay, which Azara denominated the 

 Grand Furet and Pennant the Guiana Weasel. By 

 Desmarest it is referred to the genus Gulo, and is 

 termed Gulo Barbulus. This animal is the Taira (or 

 Galera of Brown). Two specimens from Trinidad, 

 differing from each other in colouring, are preserved 

 in the Museum of the Zoological Society. (See 

 ' Proceeds. Zool. Soc.,' 1831, p. 74.) To the muste- 

 line group belong the Zorilles of Africa: most 

 writers seem to consider the Zorille as constituting 

 a single species (Zorilla Capensis). We are however 

 of opinion that the Cape species is different from 

 that which we have seen repeatedly from the 

 northern coast of Africa. The Senegal zorille has 

 not come under our notice, but it is stated to differ 

 from the Cape animal. The zorille is less than the 

 polecat, and, like that animal, is fierce and exceed- 

 ingly active. It dwells in burrows, which it digs in 

 the ground, concealing itself during the day. The 

 colour of the back is an irregular mixture of black 

 and white in broken or indefinite lines. The head, 

 sides, and under-surface are black, with the ex- 

 ception of a white oval spot on the forehead, and a 

 white mark over each eye. To this genus is appa- 

 rently referable a species from Madagascar, Mustela 

 striata, Geoff. ; Putorius striatus, Cuv. ; Galictis 

 striata of Isidore Geoffroy. 



967.— The Skunk 



(Mephitis Americana). Several species of these 

 animals, called Mouffettes, Mephitic Weasels, Betes 

 puantes, Enfans du Diable, &c, are natives of Ame- 

 rica. The genus is intermediate between that of the 

 polecats and the badgers. 



These animals are notorious for the intolerable 

 odour of the secretion of their glandular pouches, 

 which neither man nor dog can endure. The head 

 is small, the snout pointed, the body robust and 

 covered with long coarse hair, the tail rather long 

 and very bushy. The general colour of the upper 

 surface is white, interrupted by a stripe, more or less 

 broad, of black along the spine ; the limbs and 

 under surface are black. According to Kalm, the 

 skunk of North America " brings forth its young in 

 the hollows of trees and in burrows; it is not con- 

 fined to the ground, but climbs tree ; it is an enemy 

 to birds ; it destroys their eggs and also devours 

 their young ; and when it can enter the poultry 

 roost it makes great destruction. When it is chased 

 either by men or dogs it runs as far as it can or 

 climbs a tree ; but when it finds itself hard pressed, 

 it ejects its fluid against its pursuers : the odour of 

 this is so strong as to suffocate ; if a drop of this 

 pestilential secretion falls in the eyes, it is at the 

 risk of losing sight ; and when it falls on the clothes, 

 it communicates an odour so powerful, that it is 

 very difficult to get rid of it ; most dogs fear to 

 attack it, and flee when touched by a drop." Mr. 

 Graham confirms this account, and says that he 

 knew several Indians who had lost their eyesight 

 in consequence of inflammation produced by this 

 fluid having been thrown into them by the animal, 

 which has the power of ejecting it to the distance 

 of upwards of four feet. The odour produces 

 nausea, a sense of suffocation, and not unfrequently 

 fainting. With all this, however, the skunk is often 

 taken young and tamed, when the animal seldom 

 gives out its pestilential secretion ; its flesh, more- 

 over, is very frequently eaten, and is said to be 

 well flavoured. It appears that, when the natives 

 kill a skunk, they remove the whole of the glandular 

 sacs, in order that no unpleasant smell or flavour 

 may be communicated to the flesh. In the northern 

 latitudes the skunk passes its winter in a hole, sel- 

 bom stirring abroad, and then only for a short dis- 

 tance. It preys on young hares, rats and mice, and 

 has been observed to feed much on frogs. The 

 skunk is about eighteen inches in length, exclusive 

 of the tail, which is nearly as long as the body. 

 Besides the common skunk (Mephitis Americana) 

 four distinct species are in the Museum of the Zoo- 

 logical Society. From the genus Mephitis we pass 

 by an easy transition to that group of the Mustelidse 

 which includes the Ratel, the Mydaus or Teledu, 

 and the Badgers. 



968. — Cape Ratel 

 (Ratelus Capensis, F. Cuv.) ; Mellivora Capensis, 

 Storr ; Viverra mellivora, and TJisus mellivorus, 

 Blumenb. ; Taxus mellivorus, Tiedem. ; Meles 

 mellivora, Thunberg; Ratel, Sparrraanj Honey- 

 weasel, Shaw. In their dentition, the ratels closely 

 approximate to the true badgers (Meles), excepting 

 that the last molar is smaller and narrower in pro- 

 portion from its anterior to its posterior edge (see 

 Fig. 969). 



The Cape ratel is a thickset clumsy animal, with 

 short limbs, and a partially plantigrade walk. The 

 claws are very robust, the muzzle is elongated, the 

 eyes are small and sunk, and the external ears 

 nearly rudimentary ; the general aspect is badger- 

 like. The Cape ratel is a native of South Africa, 



and has been celebrated for the destruction it makes 

 among the nests of the wild-bee, to the honey of 

 which it is said to be very partial. Doubtless, how- 

 ever, it avails itself of other food, and probably, like 

 the badger, devours flesh and roots. In the discovery 

 of bees' nests it is said to be directed by the actions 

 and voice of a bird termed the Honey-guide (Indi- 

 cator Vaillantii). These insects, in South Africa, 

 usually build their cells in the deserted excavations 

 of the wild-boar or the porcupine, and from 

 these the ratel digs out its. plunder. It preys 

 chiefly in the evening, remaining during the greater 

 portion of the day in its burrow. When taken 

 young, it is easily domesticated. The hide of the 

 ratel is extremely tough and loose, and, according 

 to Sparrman, if a person catches hold of it by the 

 back part of the neck, it is able to turn round, as it 

 were, in its skin, and bite the arm that molests it 



The Cape ratel is about two feet, six inches long, 

 exclusive of the tail, which is about eight inches. 

 The general colour above is grey, the under parts 

 black, and a white line runs on each side from the 

 ears to the ■ origin of the tail, abruptly dividing 

 these two colours. 



970. — The Indian Ratel 



(Ratelus Indicus). This species, though known to 

 Pennant and Shaw (who termed it Ursus Indicus), 

 has only been recently recognised as a distinct 

 species. Lesson was not aware of the difference — 

 nay, neither he nor Desmarest appears to have known 

 of the existence of the Indian ratel ; and General 

 Hardwicke, who figured it in the ' Linn. Trans.,' 

 vol. xi., makes no allusion to the Cape ratel, appa- 

 rently overlooking then relationship. Mr. Bennett 

 observes that the only difference he has been able 

 to detect between the Asiatic and African animals 

 consists in the absence of the white line dividing 

 the two colours in the Indian species, and which. 

 are not so abrupt. The absence of this line we 

 consider to have been an individual peculiarity. 

 The Indian ratel is a native of various provinces of 

 India, on the high banks of the Ganges and the 

 Jumna, where it rarely comes forth from its burrow 

 by day, but prowls at night about the houses of the 

 natives, enters the cemeteries, and with extra- 

 ordinary celerity works its way to the bodies re- 

 cently interred, which it greedily devours. It feeds 

 also upon rats, birds, &c. When taken young, the 

 Indian ratel is easily tamed and becomes playful. 

 It is fond of climbing, but its actions are clumsy, 

 though it securely traverses the larger branches. 

 Its voice is a deep hoarse guttural bark. (See 

 ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1835, 

 p. 113.) 



The following description of a specimen from 

 Madras, in the menagerie of the Zoological Society, 

 is from the pen of Mr. Bennett : — ' ; As far as its 

 manners have yet been developed, it appears to be, 

 with regard to man at least, one of the most play- 

 ful and good tempered of beasts, soliciting the 

 attention of almost every visitor by throwing its 

 clumsy body into a variety of antic postures, and 

 when noticed, tumbling head over heels with every 

 symptom of delight. But towards animals it ex- 

 hibits no such mildness of temper; and it is curious 

 to observe the cat-like eagerness with which it 

 watches the motions of any of the smaller among 

 them that happened to pass before its den, and the 

 instinctive dread manifested by the latter on per- 

 ceiving it. Its food is of a mixed nature, consist- 

 ing, like that of the bears and other less carnivorous 

 beasts, of bread and milk in the morning, and flesh 

 in the latter part of the day." (< Zoological Gar- 

 dens.') 



Allied to the ratels is the teledu (Mydaus meli- 

 ceps), an animal confined to the mountain districts 

 of Java, and which resembles the badger in its 

 habits. It is well described by Dr. Horsfield in the 

 ' Zoological Researches.' 



971, 972.— The Badger 

 (Meles vulgaris). The approximation of this ani- 

 mal to some of the Ursidse is evident ; yet is there 

 still an important line of demarcation. All the 

 Ursidse have two true molars; in the true ursine 

 group the posterior molar is long ; in the aberrant 

 group, including Ailurus, Procyon, Nasua, and 

 Cercoleptes, the two molars are nearly equal in size. 

 In the badger, the ratel, &c, as in the polecats, 

 there is but one true molar. That of the upper- 

 jaw in the badger is very large (see Fig. 973, the 

 teeth of the badger), and adapted for the mastica- 

 tion of vegetable aliment. 



The badger is extensively spread through Europe 

 and Asia ; it is recluse and nocturnal in its habits, 

 frequenting deep woods, where it makes a deep 

 commodious burrow, for the excavation of which 

 its short muscular limbs and powerful claws are 

 well adapted. The burrow has only one entrance, 

 leading into different chambers, and terminating in 

 one of a circular form, which is comfortably lined with 

 grass and hay. Here the animal spends the day in 



