HONEY' WE AS EjL, 
351 
# visible ; the tail rather thick ; the legs short and 
the head large ; the snout short and somewhat 
pointed ; the body seems of a thicker form than is 
usual in this genus. 
This animal, when pursued,, ejects a fetid liquid, 
accompanied by a smell as insufferable as that of 
some of the American weasels or skunks, and pro- 
ductive of the same effects. 
Honey weasel, or ratel. 
This animal, which is a native of the Cape, is, 
from the nose to the tail, about two feet long. Its 
back is ash-coloured ; and along its sides runs a 
light grey stripe, that divides this from its belly, 
which is black. The legs are short ; and the 
claws long, and formed for burrowing. It lives, 
in holes under ground, and is said to be very 
fetid. 
The ratel seems formed by nature to be the ad- 
versary of the bees, and the unwelcome visitor of 
their habitations ; and is endued with a particular 
faculty of discovering and attacking them within 
their entrenchments — As a man placed at the mast- 
head, can most easily descry a sail or land at a great 
distance in the evening, so probably this time of 
the day is the most convenient for the ratel to look 
out for his food ; for he is likewise said to be par- 
ticularly attentive to his business about sun-set ; 
when he will sit and hold one of his paws before 
his eyes, in order to modify the rays of the sun* 
and at the same time to procure a distinct view of 
the object of his pursuit ; and when, in conse- 
quence of peering in this maimer on each side of 
his paw, opposite to the sun, he sees any bees fly, 
lie knows that they are at this time going straight 
to their own habitation, and consequently takes 
$are to keep in the same direction, in order to End 
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