YOS PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvm. 



in his list of observed mammals, yet several arctic explorers have 

 either seen the animal or traces thereof in very high latitudes. A 

 skull, minus the lower jaw, was picked up on Melville Island, latitude 

 75° north. Sir James Ross found it abundant on Boothia Felix. He 

 received skins of two adult and two young- wolverines from the 

 Eskimos. Another was captured in winter on shipboard, having fear- 

 lessly climbed over the banked snow in seai-ch of food which from his 

 thin condition lie much needed. 



When in prime condition, the fur of the wolverine is highly prized 

 by the Eskimos, more so than that of the wolf, for the purpose of 

 trimming the hood and other portions of their outer reindeer-skin 

 clothing. Several skulls of adults and two skins and skulls of young 

 animals were secured at Fort Anderson and duly forwarded to the 

 Smithsonian Institution at Washington. 



The Company of Adventurers of England trading in Hudson's Bay, 

 received and sold in London 32,975 skins of this species from 1853 to 

 1877. The returns were lowest in the years 1857 (923), 1866 (909), 

 and 1S67 (768). The three best sales of skins in the statement were in 

 1871 (1,81:8), 1873 (2,095), and 1871: (1,763). The sales for 1902 and 

 1903 amounted to only 635 and 695 skins, respectively. It is esti- 

 mated that the old northern districts of Athabasca and Mackenzie 

 River furnished fully two-fifths of the foregoing quantities. 



As the habits and depredations of this "uncivilized robber" have 

 already been fully and frequently recounted by naturalists, I need not 

 add to its well-known record. I may, however, say that copulation 

 of the sexes takes place in the months of March and April, and that 

 the female brings forth the offspring about sixty days later. They are 

 from one to three, four, and occasionally as many as five in number. 

 They are said to be born blind, and are very frail for some time, but 

 soon acquire more strength. Suckling is supposed to last for two or 

 three months. A discarded beaver-lodge, a vacant bear-hole, or anj^ 

 other suitable depression in the ground serves as a nest. The male is 

 supposed to render some assistance in rearing the young. 



Fortunately for the natives, who suffer so much from his depreda- 

 tions, the carcajou is not very a])undant anywhere, although doubtless 

 too much so everywhere, for the reason that even one will, in course 

 of a single season, do an incredible amount of damage. They are 

 iirst-class experts in persistently demolishing very extensive lines of 

 deadfall, marten, and other traps, as well as in hiding, eating, or 

 otherwise injuring the animals found in them. They treat rabl)itsand 

 lynx caught in snares in a similar manner. Thev will further break 

 up well-built caches of meat, fish, and sundries. The wolverine is 

 undoubtedly entitled to first place among the destructive animals of 

 North America, and is also the most detested of them all. 



