202 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
TAXIDEA AMEKICANA. 
American Badger. 
Ursus laxus, Schreber, Saugt. Ill, 1778, 520, fig. 142, 13. (From Bnffon.) 
Meles laxus, var. P americanus, Boddaert, Elenchus Anim. I, 1784, 136. 
Melts americanus, (“ Bodd.”) Zimmermann, Pennant’s Arktische Zoologie I, 1787, 74. 
Ursus labradorius, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 102. 
Kerr’s Linnaeus, 1792, 187. 
Shaw, Gen. Zool. Mamm. I, 1800, 469 ; pi. cvi. 
Meles labradoria, Meyer, Zool. Archv. II, 1796, 45. 
J. Sabine, App. Narr. Franklin’s 1st Journey, 1823, 649. 
Harlan, F. A. 1825, 57. 
Griff. Cuv. V, 1827, 116. 
Rich. F. B. A. I, 1829, 37 ; pi. ii. 
Fischer, Synopsis, 1829, 151. 
Wagner, Suppl. Schreber, II, 1829, 182. 
Acd. & Bach. N. A. Quad. I, 1849, 360 ; pi. xlvii. 
Taxus labradoricus, Say, Longs’ Exped. I, 1823, 261, 369. 
? Taxidea labradoria, Waterhouse, Pr. Zool. Soc. VI, 1838, 154, (probably T. Berlandieri.) — Ib. Trans. Zool. Soc. 
II, V, 1841, 343, pi. 
Ham. Smith, Int. Mamm. Jard. Nat. Lib. XIII, 1842, 210. 
Meles jeffersonii, Harlan, F. A. 1825, 309, (based on description of Lewis and Clark.) 
American badger, Pennant, Syn. Quad. 1771, 202.—Ib. Hist. Quad. 1781, No. 298, p. —Ib. Arctic Zoology, I, 1784, 
71. (Leverian Museum.) 
Badger of Columbia river, Lewis & Clark’s Travels, II, 1814, 177. 
Le Carcajou, F. Cuv. Suppl. Buffon, I, Mammif. 1831, 268. 
Sp. Ch. —Head grizzled gray, black on the end of snout, and along the eyes. A median white line from near the nose to 
the nape. Legs and a crescentic patch before the ears black. Cheeks and under parts generally white. 
The body is very stoutly built and depressed ; the tail short, about one fourth the length of 
body, well clothed with long stiff hairs. The hair in summer is coarse throughout, without any 
wool; it is of considerable length on the back and sides (three or four inches.) The muzzle is 
naked at the extreme end, or around the nostril, and on the septum ; its top and sides are, 
however, hairy, as is the space between the border of the nostrils and the edge of the upper lip. 
The ears are short, erect, pointed, and covered with coarse hairs on both sides. The fore claws 
are very much longer than the hinder ; in their relative development and shape not dis¬ 
similar to those of Geomys. The third fore claw is longest, then the second, and then the 
fourth. These are not very unequal, but the first and fifth do not extend to more than half the 
length of the claws adjacent to them. Both palms and soles are hairy on their posterior half. 
A fine specimen of the American badger, collected in Wisconsin, probably in winter, is in 
general color not strikingly dissimilar to the ground hog, ( Arctomys monax.) The long straight 
coarse hair is well filled in with a coarse wool, which with the basal portion of the long hairs 
are of a dull pale brownish yellow, (at the extreme roots having a grayish tinge.) The ter¬ 
minal half of the long hairs is lustrous brownish black, except at the tip, which is yellowish 
hoary. Owing to the long loose texture of the hairs all the colors of yellowish, brown, and 
hoary are distinctly observable, the back having the strongest impression of brownish, the sides 
of the hoary. The under parts are pretty uniformly pale brownish yellow, nearly white on the 
middle line of the belly and under the head. The legs and feet are quite uniform, dark brownish 
black. The top of the head, including the whole muzzle, is dark brown, mixed with hoary, as 
this color fuses in that of the back; this band narrows from the muzzle to the eyes, covering 
