956 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



into them. He has been known to gnaw through a log nearly 

 a foot in diameter and also to dig a hole several feet deep 

 in frozen ground, to gain access to the coveted supply. 

 Should he succeed in gaining entrance for himself and yet be 

 unable to displace the logs sufficiently to permit of removal of 

 the meat, the brute will make water and dirt all over it, render- 

 ing it wholly unfit to be used; even a dog will then scarcely 

 touch it. 



"To the trapper the Wolverines are equally annoying. 

 When they have discovered a line of Marten traps, they will 

 never abandon the road, and must be killed before the trapping 

 can be successfully carried on. Beginning at one end, they 

 proceed from trap to trap along the whole line, pulling them 

 successively to pieces, and taking out the baits from behind. 

 When they can eat no more, they continue to steal the baits 

 and cache them. If hungry, they may devour two or three 

 of the Martens they find captured, the remainder being car- 

 ried ofif and hidden in the snow at a considerable distance. 

 The work of demolition goes on as fast as the traps can be 

 renewed." 



"The propensity to steal and hide things [says Coues]" 

 is one of the strongest traits of the Wolverine. To such an 

 extent is it developed that the animal will often secrete articles 

 of no possible use to itself. Besides the wanton destruction of 

 Marten traps, it will carry ofi^ the sticks and hide them at a 

 distance, apparently in sheer malice. Mr. Ross, in the article 

 above quoted, has given an amusing instance of the extreme 

 of this propensity: 'The desire for accumulating property 

 seems so deeply implanted in this animal that, like tame ravens, 

 it does not appear to care much what it steals, so that it can 

 exercise its favourite propensity to commit mischief. An 

 instance occurred within my own knowledge in which a hunter 

 and his family, having left their lodge unguarded during their 

 absence, on their return found it completely gutted — the walls 

 were there but nothing else. Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, 

 cans, knives, and all the other paraphernalia of a trapper's tent 



" Op. cit., p. 51. 



