3° 
QUADRUPEDS. 
[ Clafs I. 
GENUS IX. The BADGER. 
S P E C I E S I. The BADGER. 
Badger, Brock, Gray Pate, Taxus 
five meles. Ran Jyn. quad. 185. 
Meyer's an. 1. Tab. 31. 
Sib. Scot 11. 
Meles pilis ex fordide albo et nigro 
variegatis veftita capite taeniis 
alternatim albis et nigris vari- 
egato. Brijfon quad. 253. 
Buffbn. Tom. 7. Tab. 7. p. 104. 
Gefner. quad. 686. 
Urfiis meles. Urfiis cauda conco- 
lore, corpore fupra cinereo, 
fubtus nigro, fafcia longitudin- 
ali per oculos aurelque nigra, 
Lin. Jyft. 48, 
Coati cauda brevi. Klein, quad.qq,. 
Meles unguibus anticis longifiimis 
Faunfuec, 15. 
NAMES 
J 
r Portug. Texugo 
German) Tacks 
P)utch , Das 
l Swedijh) Graf Suin 
Britijhy Pryf Llwyd. Pryf penfrith 
French , Taiffon 
Italian , Taffo 
Spanijh , Texon 
T H O’ the badger is a beafl of great 
ftrength, and is furnifhed with 
ftrong teeth, as if formed for ra¬ 
pine, yet is found to be an animal perfectly 
inoffenfive; roots, fruits, grafs, infers and 
frogs are its food ; it is charged with deftroy- 
ing lambs and rabbets ; but on enquiry, there 
feems to be no other reafon to think it a beaft 
of prey, than from the analogy there is be¬ 
tween its teeth and thofe of carnivorous ani¬ 
mals. Nature denied the badger the fpeed 
and activity requilite to efcape its enemies, fa 
hath fupplied it with fuch weapons of offence 
that fcarce any creature would hazard the 
attacking him; few animals defend them- 
felves better, or bite harder : when purfued ? 
they foon come to bay, and fight with great 
obflinacy. It is an indolent animal, and 
fieeps much, for which reafon it is always 
found very fat. It borroughs under ground, 
like the fox; and forms feveral different ap- 
partments, tho’ with only one entrance. It 
confines itfeff to its hole during the whole 
day, and only feeds at night; it is fo cleanly 
an animal as never to obey the calls of nature 
Jn its appartments; but goes out for that pur^ 
pofe : it breeds only once in a year, and brings 
four or five at a time. 
The ufual length of the badger, is two feet 
four inches, exclufive of the tail, which is 
only four inches long. The eyes are very 
fmall: the ears fhort and rounded : the neck 
is fhort: the whole fhape of the body clumfy 
and 
