This kind of food indeed is not so universally esteemed in our own country as in China, where Bell informs us that he saw dozens of Badgers at a time hanging in the meat-markets of Pekin ; but there is no reason why it should be inferior to the flesh of the bear, which is universally esteemed by all who have tasted it.
2. M. Lahradorica (Sabine), the American Badger, measures, when full grown, about two feet and a half from the muzzle to the root of the tail, which is six inches more. Its snout is less attenuated than that of the European species, though its head is equally long ; its ears are short and round, the claws of its fore feet much longer in proportion than those of the common species, its tail comparatively shorter, its fur of a quality altogether different, its colours also very different, and its appetites more decidedly carnivorous ; the head and extremi ties alone are covered with short coarse hair ; all the other parts of the body are furnished with remarkably soft, fine, silky fur, upwards of four inches in length, and differing only in being rather more sparingly supplied on the under than on the upper parts.
The American Badger is called Brairo and Siflleue by the Canadians, Mistonusk and Awa.wteekmoo, or the Digging Animal, by the Crees, and Chocartoosh by the Pawnee Indians. Its form and habits have been well described by Sir John Richardson in his admirable 'Fauna Boreali-A mericana.' " The Metes Labradorica," says Sir John, " frequents the sandy plains or prairies which skirt the Rocky Mountains as far north as the banks of the Peace River, and sources of the River of the Mountains, in lat.
58°. It abounds on the plains watered by the Missouri, but its exact southern range has not, as far as I know, been defined by any traveller.
The sandy prairies in the neighbourhood of Carlton House, on the banks of the Saskatchewan, and also on the Red River that flows into Lake Winipeg, are perforated by innumerable badger-holes, which am a great annoyance to horsemen, particularly when the ground is covered with snow. These holes are partly dug by the badgers for habitations, hut the greater number of them are merely enlargements of the but rows of the Aeetomus Hoodii and Itichardsonii, which the badgers dig up and prey upon. Whilst the ground is covered with snow, the badger rarely or never comes from its hole ; and I suppose that in that climate it passes the winter, from the beginning of November till April, in a torpid state. Indeed, as it obtains the small animals upon which it feeds by surprising them in their burrows, it has little chance of digging them out at a time when the ground is frozen into a solid rock. Like the bears, the badgers do not lose much flesh during their long hybernation, for on coming abroad in the spring they are observed to be very fat. As they pair however at that season they soon become lean. The badger is a slow and timid animal, taking to the first earth it meets with when pursued ; and as it makes its way through the sandy soil with the rapidity of a mole, it soon places itself out of the reach of danger. The strength of its fore feet and claws is so great, that one which had insinuated only its head and shoulders into a hole resisted the utmost efforts of two stout young men, who endeavoured to drag it out by the hind legs and tail, until one of them fired the contents of his fowling-piece into its body. Early in the spring however, when they first begin to
stir abresul, they may be easily caught by pouring water Into their holes; for the ground being frozen nt that period, the water does not escape through the sand, but soon fills the hole, and Its tenant is obliged to come out. The American Badger appears to be a more carnivorous animal than the European one. A female which I killed had a small marmot, nearly entire, together with some field mice, in its stomach. It had also been eating some vegetable matters." As to the southern limit of the geographical range of the species, at least in one direction, it is known to inhabit Mexico, as appears from the detailed and correct description of Fernandez, who call,' it by the native name of Ilacoyoti or Coyotlhumuli ; and a very tine skin was some time ago sent from California to the Zoological Society.
3. M. eollaris, the Indian Badger, called Bhalloo-Soor, or Bear-Pig, by the lihtdoos, is about the size of the Common Badger, but stands higher upon its legs, and is at once distinguished by its attenuated muzzle ending in a truncated snout, like that of the common hog, and by its small and nearly naked tail Tho whole height of this animal is about 20 inches, and the length of its tail 9 inches. It has the body and limbs of a bear, with the snout, eyes, and tail of a hog. Its ears are short, completely covered with hair, and sur rounded by a slight bonier of white.
The individuals, a male and female, observed in the menagerie of the Governor-general at Barrackpoor by the French naturalist Ditvaneel, who furnished Mona. F. Cuvier with the materials for his description, were remarkably shy and wild. The female however was less savage than the male, and showed a certain degree of intelligence, which gave reason to believe that, if taken young, this (mime] might be easily domesticated. They passed the greater part of the day buried beneath the straw of their den in deep sleep. All their move ments were remarkably slow. Though they did not altogether refuse animal food, yet they exhibited a marked predilection for bread, fruits, and other substances of a vegetable nature. When irritated they uttered a peculiar kind of grunting noise, and bristled up the hair of their back; if still further tormented, they would raise them aelves upon their hind legs like a bear, and appeared, like that animal, to lessees a power in their arms and clews not less formidable than their teeth. This is confirmed by Mr. Johnson in his Sketches of Indian Field Sports.' "Badgers in India," says he, "are marked exactly like those in England, but they are larger and taller, are exceedingly fierce, and will attack a number of dogs. I have seen dogs that would attack a hyaena or wolf afraid to encounter them. They are scarce, but occasionally to be met with among the hills. In their nature they resemble the bear."