Sept. 22, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



163 



to our Badgers is the European Badger (Meles taxxis), and 

 certain Asiatic and Japanese species (M. leucurus, M. 

 chientis and 37. anahuma of Japan). And, more re- 

 motely affined to these, we find our several species of 

 skunks (MepMtiS)) the Sand Bear of the mountainous 

 regions of Assam and northeastern Hindostan, where it 

 is called the Bear Pig (Bhalu-soor); and those interesting 

 animals from India and south and west Africa, known as 

 the Ratels (as M. inclica and M, ratel). 



For a long time, and some writers do still, confound 

 our species (Taxidea) with the European Badger (Meles), 

 but in reality they are very distinct animals. (See art. 

 "Badger," Brit. Encyclo., 9th ed., for a recent example 



Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin to the westward, and used to 

 occur much further east. 



Prof. J. A. Allen found marked differences in the skulls 

 of Badgers from specimens collected in widely separated 

 northern and southern districts, and anatomically the 

 animal presents us with much that is highly interesting. 

 Another writer tells us that "the Badger differs from all 

 other mammals in having the lower jaw so articulated to 

 the upper, by means of a transverse condyle firmly locked 

 into a long cavity of the cranium, that dislocation of the 

 jaw is all but impossible, and this enables those creatures 

 to maintain their hold with the utmost tenacity." 



We must also note that Badgers vary both in color and 



standing, as it does, higher on its legs, presents us with 

 a very good combination of a bear, a pig, and. a badger; 

 but the limitations of space will prevent me from enter- 

 ing upon any description of the habits of this highly in- 

 teresting representative of our group, from India. 



Badgers subsist upon a very varied diet, consuming in- 

 discriminately fruit, birds' eggs, insects, frogs, smah 

 mammals, nuts, and roots; our American Badger, how- 

 ever, has been found to be far more carnivorous in its 

 tastes than its European cousin. 



These animals spend most of then- time during the day 

 in the deep and extensive burrows which they are so 

 eminently fitted by nature to excavate. They come 



Fig. 1. THE AMERICAN BADGER (T. a. ameHccma). Adult Male. 



of retaining our species in the genus Meles.) Professor 

 Baird has remai-ked that, "This genus is so strikingly dif- 

 ferent from Meles as to render it a matter of astonishment 

 that the typical species were ever combined." (Mamm. 

 N. Amer., p. 201). If one will compare the head of the 

 American Badger here given in Figure 1, with my draw- 

 ing of the head of a European specimen in Figure 2, it will 

 be seen at once how different, both in form and colora- 

 tion, these parts alone are; and further, these differences 

 are fully supported by the remainder of the economies of 

 the two species. 



Our Badgers then are plantigrade carnivora, and the 

 best and most elaborate account of the form, structure, 

 and habits of the American Badger, that the writer knows 



size, depending upon the locality in which the specimens 

 are collected; but these variations imperceptibly merge as 

 we come to compare series from all parts of the geographi- 

 cal area over which the species is known to range. 



For the past three years the present writer has resided 

 at Fort Wingate, New Mexico, and during this time has 

 seen a number of Badgers which were collected in the 

 vicinity, and for a long time had a fine one in captivity. 

 But the largest of all the specimens of the American 

 Badger that I ever saw or read about was a specimen 

 recently captured here (Aug. 14) by Mr. M. B. Miller of 

 Philadelphia. This animal actually measured, from "the 

 tip of his nose to the tip of his tail" 32in., and was a 

 splendid adult male, of correspondingly magnificent pro- 



abroad and feed chiefly at night, and it is the rarest thing 

 in the world to find a pair of them together on either oc- 

 casion; for some reason or other the sexes pursue their 

 avocations usually apart. In sections where they are 

 plenty, however, we may occasionally catch an old fellow 

 away from his stronghold, when he will be seen to liter- 

 ally flatten himself out and endeavor to creep back un- 

 observed to his hoV Seven or eight years ago, while 

 hunting through Wyoming. I once surprised a large 

 Badger in this very way, and did not sight him until he 

 was within about 20ft. of his burrow, when, my gurt 

 being loaded with buckshot (as I in turn was also being 

 hunted !), I opened upon bim, and distinctly saw that he 

 was struck in several places by the balls. He absolutely 



Right Lateeal View of the Head of a Specimen of the European 

 Badger (M. taxus). 



Same View of the Head of the Sand Beae or Badger of India (A. collarU). 

 Both Figures Drawn and Reduced by the Author. 



anything about, is given in that very excellent work, the 

 "Fur-Bearing Animals," by Professor Elliott Coues. 

 Omitting the more lengthy parts of this eminent author- 

 ity's description, and briefly quoting the essential char- 

 acters for our purpose here, the American Badger may 

 be said to have the "top of head darker than other upper 

 parts, with a median white stripe; sides of head below the 

 eyes, and its under surface, white, with a dark patch 

 before the ear; linibs blackish; body-coloration above a 

 grizzle of blackish with white, gray or tawny, or all of 

 these; below uniform whitish, shaded or not with gray or 

 tawny. Form stout, thick-set, indicative of great strength 

 and little agility; body broad, depressed; head flattened, 

 conoidal; tail and limbs short; feet broad and flat [five 

 toes on each foot] ; fore claws enormous, highly f ossorial. 

 Pelage of body and tail [which is short] long, loose, 

 shaggy, and of coarse texture; shorter and closer on the 

 head and feet." 

 The American Badger is found in this country from 



portions. I was permitted to make a photograph of this 

 specimen, and from this, by a method which rendered an 

 absolute accurate copy, I made the drawing presented in 

 Fig. 1, which will give the reader an excellent idea of the 

 general form and coloration of our Badger. It represents 

 him in the very act of commencing to burrow, which 

 captive adult specimens will do at first whenever the op- 

 portunity offers, and it is truly remarkable to see how 

 rapidly they will make a sizable excavation in the ground, 

 absolutely making the earth fly with their powerful claws 

 during the operation. 



As comparison enhances all study in animal forms, I 

 made also two other drawings (Figs. 2 and 3) for this 

 article; one of the head of the European Badger (M. 

 taxus), and the head of an Indian Badger or Sand Bear, 

 alluded to above (Arctomyx collaris). These figures show 

 the predisposition to black and white longitudinal band- 

 ing m all badgers. 



This Sand Bear with its long piglike tail and snout, and 



made the dust and stones fly in his rage, and bit himself 

 as he rolled over and over in his agony; notwithstanding 

 this he recovered himself sufficiently to reach his burrow 

 before I could head him off, or thought it necessary to 

 deliver him another shot. 



Sometimes when one runs into his burrow he may in a 

 moment or two suddenly appear at its entrance again to 

 inspect the intruder, and I've seen Indians take advan- 

 tage of this habit by running up suddenly to the entrance 

 and deliberately kill the animal with a pistol shot as he 

 showed his head. Indians frequently capture them, too, 

 by running upon them mounted on horseback, and dis- 

 mounting as near them as possible, complete the chase 

 and capture them on foot. 



Few animals, however, prey upon or even molest the 

 Badger, and man proves to be his worst enemy; indeed, 

 they are strong and determined fighters, and even wolves 

 and coyotes do not care to interfere with them, and gen- 

 erally offer a wide berth when they chance in their way. 



