HELICcTIs. 37 
for neither the Glutton nor our Indian species of Hedicéts are arboreal in 
their habits. Then it was accused of eating to such a pitch of distention 
that it had to squeeze itself between two close-growing trees for relief ere 
it returned again to the repast. There isno doubt, however, that it is 
to a great extent voracious and extremely cunning ; and what it cannot 
eat it will carry off and hide. The trappers complain bitterly of it, 
and spare no pains to kill every one they can come across ; but it is not 
easily to be caught, and only a very cunningly-devised bait will succeed. 
Were I to relate some of the stories recorded of this animal I might 
get accused, if not of being a romancer myself, at all events of being a 
too credulous propagator of other people’s romances. It is told of it 
that it will discover hidden stores, and, digging them up out of the snow, 
carefully smooth the surface over again ; that it will avoid every trap 
set for itself, and, going round to the back of spring guns, gnaw through 
the string connected with the trigger before it drags away the bait. It 
follows up the lines laid down by the trappers, taking the martens out, 
and devouring them, or hiding what it cannot eat, and by wearying out 
the patience of the hunters, compel them to strike a new “marten- 
road.” 
It is said by Dr. Coues to possess a singular habit of sitting down on 
its haunches, shading its eyes with a forepaw, and gazing earnestly at 
the approaching enemy before it takes to flight. I have already alluded 
to the Cape ratel doing this on the look-out for bees, The Indian 
form of Wolverene is a slighter and much smaller animal, with a still 
more weasel-like appearance. ‘The Glutton is comparatively a large 
beast, the body being about 24 feet, and the tail 10 inches; the Aedictis 
is only half the size, and there is a slight difference in the dentition. 
GENUS HELICTIS. 
“Head tapering ; nose acute, conical; muzzle bald, obliquely trun- 
cated; other side hairy, with a central groove; nostrils inferior ; ears 
ovate; body slender; legs short; toes 5°5; front claws elongate, 
curved ; hinder short and acute; sole of foot hairy behind, bald in 
front, and rhombic for half the length of the foot, with three large 
oblong pads on the front, and three small ones on the hinder edge ; 
toes elongate ; thumb short; fur black, like Aerfes¢es ; tail moderate, 
sub-cylindrical ; teeth, 38 ; pre-molars, a ; grinders, 3.” Gray. 
There are four species of this genus, and of these two come within 
the geographical limits of these papers, viz., /elictis Nipalensis and 
Hf, moschata ; the third, H. orientalis, belongs to Java; and the fourth, 
HZ, subaurantiaca, to Formosa. 
