242 The Wolverene. 



other successively." (Ciivier.) Head of moderate length ; body 

 long ; legs short ; tail bushy ; feet with five deeply divided toes, 

 terminated by long curved nails ; no glandular pouch in some of 

 the species, but a simple fold beneath the tail ; h abits carnivo- 

 rous and nocturnal. The generic name is derived from the Latin 

 qulo^ a glutton. Four species of this genus have been described : 

 one existing in the Arctic regions of both continents ; two in 

 South America, and one in Africa." (Audubon and Bachman, 

 vol. I, page 202.) The North American species is commonly 

 known by the name of the Wolverene or Carcajou, 



GuLO Luscus, (Linn.) 



Specific Characters. — '' Dark brown passing into black above, 

 a pale band upon each side, running from the shoulders round the 

 flanks, and uniting on the hips ; tail with long bushy hairs^ 



The earlier writers upon the Natural History of Northern 

 Europe and America published many gross misrepresentations 

 upon the Wolverene, affecting materially not only his personal 

 appearance but his habits and general character. According to 

 several authors the length of his tail is so extraordinary that it 

 can be wound several times round his body, while his voracity 

 exceeds that of any other denizen of the forest. The account 

 given in Goldsmith's Natural History, although intended for the 

 truth, is in fact a very good summary of all the errors concerning 

 the habits of this animal extant at the date of the publication of 

 that work : " It is chiefly in North America (he says) that this 

 voracious creature is seen, lurking among the thick branches of 

 trees, in order to surprise the deer, with which the extensive forests 

 of that part of the world abound. Endued with a degree of 

 patience equal to its rapacity the glutton singles out such trees as 

 it observes marked by the teeth or the antlers of the deer, and 

 it is known to remain there watching for several days together. 

 If it has fixed upon a wrong tree, and finds that the deer have 

 either left that part of the country, or cautiously shun the place, 

 it reluctantly descends, pursues the beaver to its retreat, or even 

 ventures into the water in pursuit of fishes. But if it happen 

 that, by long attention and keeping close, at last the elk or 

 the reindeer happen to pass that way, it at once darts upon them, 

 sticks its claws between their shoulders and remains there unal- 

 terably firm. It is in vain that the large frighted animal in- 

 creases its speed, or threatens with its branching horns, the glutton 



