The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-06-19
COMMON RADnER.


those attaching TO both the geographical races
into which the American genus Iaxidea Amer
icana) is divided, that Prof Baird found IL
"a MATTER or ADJOURNMENT
that the typical species were ever combined"
That is TO say, the European aud our own forms,
which were formerly confounded. are mani-
testify generically distinct. Notwithstanding
the divcrsitics mentioned, however, the skClc.
ton and muscular apparatus manifest like spuci-
alizatiOns in all members of this sub. family,
and so far as tncso are known, they universally
display analogous habits. with similar traits Of
temper aud mental organization. Iaxidsr Amer
icana, the badger which on this continent
rauges northwaTd from Texas To Wisconsin In
the United States, and from this line west to
the Pacific In practically extinct oast OF the
Mississippi, but Is found also In the British
Provinces aud Hudson Bay Territories MS far,
according TO Sir John Richardson as $50 N. 1t
is stout, clumsy. nearly fiat. footed and con
sequemtly slow creature about 2i inches long,
exclusive OF the tail, whose average length may
be stated at six inches, aud with Il head that al
most equals one-ffIh of the length Of the body
its skin. which is loose and thick bears a coarse
shaggy coat varying considerably in coloration
with fortuitOus circnmstances-age, tempera-
ture and sanitary condition-but upon the
whole, presenting IN general grizzlc com
posed Of black. tawHy- gray and white hairs
AS rule, the top Of the head is backsh or
dark brown, aud invariably iutersectcd by a
white stripe Of variable width and proonga-
tiou backwards" Vertically, both body aud
head are iiattened, and the latter Is decidedly
conoidal in its outlines. The dental formula
OF badgers indicates 81 teeth, viz, six incisors
and two CANNES OF the usual carnivorous pat
tern in either jaw, and five grinders on both
sides in the lower. with four In each ramus of
the upper jaw. It's small eyes are set high, and
placed somewhat behind the angle Of the
mouth. which s fringcd with short and sparse
whiskers. The ears, whose openings arc very
wide, and whose concayities are naked, except
for tho continuation Of tho coat covering the
external conch upon their inner edge together
with some longer loose haiTs are broad, rounded
aud low. Like Mcling everywhere the cx-
tfemely fossora habits Of the animal which
DELIGHTS IN DIGGING,
and docs upon all occasions, whether
prompted by necessity not, involve those
Enthusiastically short, strong limbs aud pad.
dle-shaped fore-feet with long. compressed
claws, that belong 10 all the sub-family. On
their plautar and palmar surfaces the digital
bulbs are bare, aud the dgts themselves con-
solidated and abbreviated, that seen from
above they have much the appearance of oval
pads" The feet aud claws Of the hind limbs
arc much smaller than those belonging TO their
anterior members.
Finally, badgers possess peculiar sub. .caudal
pouch, and there Is little distinction In outline
between the root Of the tail aud base of the
body, which tapers to meet IT,. Thus if the In.
dian form resembles bear, the American looks
not unlike Il pOreupine. Asisthe case with many
other icral creatures, the history Of our Amer
lean badger has. says DIR. Coues been curiously
involved not only with that Of the European
species, but with several entirely distinct ani.
mails" For example, Kahn cOnf0unds Taxidea
with the grounding, and Kisson with an aIbino
raccoon and Button, who did not believe that Il
was indigenous here. subsequently identified IL
with the carcajou-" Blaireau d d'Ameriaue" as
Jeryais calls this formidable cat Since Lewis
aud Clarke's expedition, howeyer-that is, since
the early part OF the present century-reliabIe
observations have been succegsqcly accumu.
lated, but not unfortunately, TO the extent of
furnishing complete account Of the creature
in question.
Along the more northern lattudes of It's hab.
itat the badger may be properly called "A hiber.
mating animal, entering as 10 docs, upon its
Winter sleep in October, and not emerging from
the nest OF leaves and grass which is constructed
at the end Of long underground tunnel until
the following May. Where the climate Is less
extreme, it either hibernates incompletely or
not At all. In those sub-arctic areas about
Hudson Bay, the badger avoids the sea coast
nor does il inhabit the forests east OF Lake Win
nipeg There, as on the Upper Missouri and
elsewhere throughout the Middle and Northern
9iaitoi ltS ioIIt plHiil5 or The Old
buffalo ranges, where those smaller rodents in
digenous 10 America are found in abundance.
In such central treeless regions OF the United
States they occur in countless multi
tudes." Badgers have few or no dangerous enc.
mics except man; they exist in localities where
food is abundant and so far from decreasing in
numbers the constant tendency of this race il
TOWARDS INCREASE
In habits of life TaXidea exhibit special traits
which tend TO screen them from observation.
Not only are badgers predOminantly subterra-
mean, but when they emerge from their bnr
rows, which in many places undermine the Oh.
tire surface aud almost prevent travelling
they go but short distance abroad and are
careful 10 keep in the vicinity of some secure
retreat With strength, tonacty aud astute.
ness developed to Il marked degree, the animals
conformation preeludes it from making use of
these qualities TO any great extent in the pur-
suit OF prey. Ita food, which consists of prai.