48 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. 



rnaux use the far as they do that of the Wolf, for friogiug their 

 garments, the skin being cut iu strips for this purpose. I have 

 already given (p. 2) some statistics of the trade in this kind 

 of pelt, which indicate the comparative standing of the animal 

 among the fur-bearing species of this country. The following 

 methods of its capture are taken from Gibson : — * 



" The wolverine is a dangerous foe to many animals larger 

 than itself, and by the professional hunter it is looked upon as 

 an ugly and dangerous customer. There are several methods 

 of trapping this horrid creature, and in many localities suc- 

 /^cessful trapping of other animals will be impossible without 

 'v.first ridding the neighborhood of the wolverines. Dead-falls 

 of large size will be found to work successfully, baiting with 

 the body of some small animal, such as a rat or squirrel. A 

 ^ mece of cat, beaver or muskrat flesh is also excellent, and by 

 ' slTgEfly scenting with castoreum success will be made sure. 

 Several of these traps may be set at intervals, and a trail made 

 by dragging a piece of smoked beaver meat between them. 

 The gun-trap, . . . will also do good service in exterminating 

 this useless and troublesome animal. Steel traps of size lN"o. 3 

 or 4 are commonly used to good purpose. ... In all cases the 

 trax> should be covered with leaves, moss or the like, and the 

 bait slightly scented with castoream. Like all voracious ani- 

 mals, the perpetual greed of the wolverine completely over- 

 balances its caution, and thus renders its capture an easy. 

 task."t 



The Wolverene is an animal of circumpolar distribution in 

 (5*' both hemispheres. In North Americ^i, it exists in all suitable 

 country north of the United States to the Arctic Coast, and 

 even on some of the islands of the Polar Sea, traces of its 

 presence having been discovered on Melville Island, about 

 latitude 75<^. Our notes upon its distribution in this country 

 may relate chiefly to its southern limits. Of an erroneous quo- 

 tation, by which it has been supposed to occur as far south as 

 Carolina, I have already spoken. Its southern limit has been 

 fixed more properly between 42° and 43^; this is probably 

 nearly correct for the eastern portions of the continent, aside 

 from what recession of the species northward may have re- 

 cently occurred, although, as we shall see, the species reaches 



y* Complete American Trapper, [etc.] p. 200. New York. 16mo. 187G. 

 //^ t A statement at variance with the experience of others, as detailed on a 

 /I following page, from which it would appear that the wary creature is par- 

 \ Vticularly difficult to entrap. 



X 



