. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. Fig. 25.—Common Badger. commouly held erect]. Their toes are much enveloped in the skin ; and, what eminently distinguishes them, is a pouch situate beneath the tail, from which exudes a fatty, fetid humour, [as in the Skunks, "Weasels, &c., to which the Badgers are very closely allied]. The long claws of their fore-feet enable them to burrow with much facihty. The European Badger (Ursus meles, Lin. ; M. taxus, Auct.)—Greyish above, beneath black, with a dusky band on each side of the head. That of America (M
. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. Fig. 25.—Common Badger. commouly held erect]. Their toes are much enveloped in the skin ; and, what eminently distinguishes them, is a pouch situate beneath the tail, from which exudes a fatty, fetid humour, [as in the Skunks, "Weasels, &c., to which the Badgers are very closely allied]. The long claws of their fore-feet enable them to burrow with much facihty. The European Badger (Ursus meles, Lin. ; M. taxus, Auct.)—Greyish above, beneath black, with a dusky band on each side of the head. That of America (Mel. hudsonius [ (?) M. labradorius, Sa- bine; Ursus taxus, Schreb.] does not appear to differ essentially. [It is even generically very dis- tinct, pertaining to the dinsion. A second species of Badger, however, appears to me to ex- ist in the Balysaur of India (Arctonyx collaris, F. Cuv. ; Mydaug collaris, Gray,) which M. F. Cuvier has represented much too Hog-like in his figure ; the snout being scarcely longer than that of the European Badger, the fur somewhat coarser, and the tail (which almost reaches the ground) not so scantily covered with hair as stated.* A cranium figured as that of the Balysaur by Mr. Gray, in his published series of Gen. Hardwicke's drawings, appears to me to indicate another species, distinguished by the long vacant interspace between the inferior canine and first existing moiar. This genus would seem to be peculiar to the eastern continent. The Taxels {Taxidea, Waterh.)— Are the reptited Badgers of America, but which present a very different cranium, and more carnivorous dentition : their cutting molar is increased, and the tubercular reduced, to an equal size ; the latter having a triangular crown : skull widest at the occiput, where it is abruptly truncated ; the auditory bullae much developed; and articulating surface of the lower jaw ex- tended, but not locking as in the Badgers. Their claws are longer and stouter, enabling them to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
