THE RATEL AND THE SKUNK. 143

form passages having a central chamber and various anti-
chambers, which he makes in sandy and gravelly soil. He
is nocturnal in his habits. “When pursued,” says Mrs. Bowdich,
“he constantly impedes the progress of his enemies by throw-
ing the soil behind him, so as to &ill up the passages, while
he escapes to the surface.” He is a formidable opponent
to his enemies, as his skin is so tough and his bite so severe,
and he displays much sagacity in avoiding traps and escap-
ing confinement. Mr. St. John placed one in a paved court
for security, but before the next morming hevhad displaced
a stone and burrowed his way out under the wall. Captain
Brown tells an affecting story of the feeling of a badger for
its mate. “Two persons in France killed a badger and
proceeded to drag it towards a neighbouring village. They
had not proceeded far when they heard the cry of an
animal in seeming distress, and stopped to- listen, when
another badger approached them slowly. They at first
threw stones at it; notwithstanding which, it drew near,
came up to the dead animal, began to lick it, and con-
tinued its mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted
from offering any further injury to it, and again drew the
dead one along as before; when the living badger, deter-
mined not to quit its companion, lay down on it, taking it
gently by one ear, and in that manner was drawn into the
midst of the village; nor could dogs, boys, or men induce
it to quit its situation: and to their shame be it said, they
had the inhumanity to kill the poor animal, and afterwards
to burn it, declaring it could be no other than a witch.”
The Ratel lhe Ratel (Mélhivora capensis) of South and
andthe East Africa and the Skunk of Canada belong
Skunk. to this family. The Ratel is a small animal
standing from ten to twelve inches high, with a very tough
skin, which is so loose that, to quote Sparrman, “ If anybody
catches hold of the Ratel by the hind part of his neck, he
is able to turn round, as it were, in his skin, and bite the