41 
34; body extremely stout, squat, and clumsy, owing to great depression ; 
tail short, broad, and flattened ; pelage loose ; coloration diffuse ; fore claws 
extremely large, highly adapted for digging; habits thoroughly terres- 
trial and fossorial ; back upper molar a right angle triangle, with hypo- 
. thenuse postero-external ; back upper pre-molar similar in size and shape, 
but the hypothenuse postero-internal; back under pre-molar with two 
tubercles ; anterior under molar comparatively small, not dilated behind, 
mostly opposing the back upper pre molar (instead of the upper molar 
as in Meles); cerebral portion of skull depressed, cuneiform, very wide 
across the flaring occipital crest; the inter-mastoid diameter nearly 
equalling the inter-zygomatic; sides of the brain case straightened and 
strongly convergent anteriorly; bony palate, reaching half way to ends 
of pterygoids; bulle auditorie at a maximum of inflation, impinging 
behind upon paroccipitals; condyles of jaw often locked in the glenoid; 
coronoid of jaw erect, pointed, its posterior edge angulated by the meet- 
ing of two straightish lines. 
This genus is confined to North and Middle America. There are three 
other well marked genera in the sub-family Meline : the European Meles, 
the Asiatic Mydaus, and Arctonyx.. In all the genera the perineal 
glands are moderately developed, and there is a peculiar sub-caudal 
pouch. 
TAXIDEA AMERICANA. Baird. 
AMERICAN BADGER. 
1778. | Ursus taxus, Schreb., “Saug., iii, 1778, 530, f. 142, B. (After Buffon).” 
1784. Meles taxus var. americanus, Bodd., Hlench. Anim., i, 1784, 136. 
1787. Meles americanus, Zimm., Penn. Artische Zcol., i, 1787, 74. (Quotes 
Boddaert.) 
1788. Ursus labradorius, Gm., 8. N., i, 1788, 102, n. 7.—Kerr., S. N., i, 1792, 
187.—Shaw, G. Z., i, 1800, 469, pl. 106.—Turt., 8. N., i, 1806, 63. 
1796. Meles labradoria, Meyer, “ Zoél. Arch., 11, 1796, 45.”—J. Sab., App. 
Franklin’s Journ., 1823, 649 (compared with Huropean).—Harl., 
Fn. Amer., 1825, 57.—Griff., An. Kingd., v, 1827, 116 (“ labra- 
dorica”’).—Less., Man., i, 1827, 141, No. 372 (“labradorica”’).— 
HWisch., Syn., 1829, 151.—Rich., F. B. A., i, 1829, 37, No. 12, pl. 2. 
—Godm., Am. Nat. Hist., i, 1831, 179.—Rich., Zool. Beechey’s 
Voy., 18389, 4.—Waen., Suppl. Schreb., ii, 1841, 182 —DeKay, N. 
Y. Zool., i, 1842, 27.—Schinz, Syn., i, 1844, 315 (“‘labradorus”’). 
—Aud. & Bach., Q. N. A, i, 1849, 360, pl. 47.—Bd., Stansbury’s 
Rep., 1852, 311—Kenn., Tr. Illinois Agric. Soc. for 1853-45, 
078.—Giebel, Siug., 1855, 761 (“labradorius”).—Hall, Canad. 
Nat. and Geol., vi, 1861, 294 (‘‘labradoricus”’).—Maxim., Arch. 
Naturg., 1861, —; Verz. Siug., 1862, 33. 
