374 THE WOLVERENE. 
it walks into its bath, rolls about in the water for a second or two, and then addresses 
itself with renewed vigour to its curious antics. 
The colour of the Ratel is black upon the muzzle, the limbs, and the whole of the 
under portions of the body ; but upon the upper part of the head, neck, back, ribs, and 
tail, the animal is furnished with a thick covering of long hairs, which are of an ashy- 
erey colour. A bright grey stripe, about an inch in width, runs along each side and 
serves as a line of demarcation between the heht and the di wk portions of the fur, The 
ears of the Ratel are extremely short. The lighter fur of the back is variously tinted in 
different individuals, some being of the w hitish- -erey which has been already mentioned, 
and others remarkable for a decided tinge of red. The length of the Cape Ratel is rather 
more than three feet, inclusive of the tail, which measures “eight or nine inches in length. 
In its walk it is plantigrade, and has so much of the ursine character in its movements 
that it has been called the Indian or Honey Bear. It is sometimes known under the 
title of “ Bharsiah.” 
The animal which has just been described is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, being 
found in great profusion at the Cape of Good Hope. There is, however, an Indian 
species of Ratel, which very closely resembles the African animal, and in the opinion 
of some writers is identical with it. 
The Indian Ratel is said to be an extremely voracious animal, prowling about the 
vicinity of human habitations, and not unfrequently paying a visit to the burial-grounds 
in search of newly interred corpses. It is necessary for the friends of the deceased person 
to barricade the grave with thorny bushes, in order to defend it from the sharp and 
powerful claws of the Ratel, which can work their way through the earth with singular 
rapidity. It is very commonly found along the course of the Ganges and Jumna, 
especially frequenting the lofty banks for which those rivers are noted. 
It is so expert a burrower that it is said to be able to bury itself beneath the surface 
in ten minutes, even though working in hard and stiff soil; while digging, it ples 
its lrabs with such exceeding good-will that it flings the loosened soil to a distance of 
some yards. When taken young, it is easily tamed, and becomes a very amusing 
animal, diverting the spectators by the singular antics which it plays. But if an adult 
specimen should be captured, it cannot reconcile itself to the loss of its liberty, and 
struggles vainly to make its escape, until it dies from the mingled effects of hunger and 
excitement. 
Flesh of all kind is acceptable to the Indian Ratel, and it seems to have a great 
predilection for rats, mice, and birds in a living state. It is generally drowsy by day, 
and only rouses itself from its slumbers at the approach of evening. The natives speak 
of it under the name of “ Beejoo.” 
The WOLVERENE, more popularly known by the name of the GLurToN, has earned for 
itself a world-wide reputation for ferocity, and has given occasion to some of the older 
writers on natural history to indulge in the most unshackled lberty of description. 
Voracious it certainly is, having been known to consume thirteen pounds of meat in a 
single day, and it is probable that if the animal had been living in a wild state it could have 
eaten even alarger amount of food. It was said by the older naturalists to prey upon deer, 
which it killed by cunningly dropping on the ground a heap of the moss on which the 
deer feeds, and then climbing upon a branch which overhung the spot. As soon as the 
deer passed beneath the tree, the Glutton was said to leap upon its shoulders, and to cling 
there until it had brought the deer to the ground. This and similar tales, however, rest 
on no good foundation. 
It is known that the Glutton feeds largely on the smaller quadrupeds, and that it is 
a most determined foe to the beaver in the summer months. During the winter it has 
little chance of catching a beaver, for the animals are quietly ensconced in their home, 
and their houses are rendered so strong by the intense cold that the Glutton is unable to 
break through their ice-hardened w alls, 
The Wolverene is an inhabitant of Northern America, Siberia, and of a great part of 
