662 THE CARNIVORES 



uncertain; some writers considering that it is compounded of two Swedish words sig- 

 nifying rock cat, while others refuse to admit its Scandinavian origin. By the 

 French Canadians the animal is termed Carcajou, and by the English residents of 

 British North America, Quickhatch; the latter, and probably also the former, being 

 derived from some almost unpronounceable native name. 



The glutton is a forest-haunting animal, and in America is to be 



found in all suitable districts to the north of the United States as far as 

 the Arctic coast, traces of its presence having been observed on Melville island, in 

 about latitude 75. Its southern limits on the eastern side of the continent may be 

 set down as about latitude 42 or 43, or roughly speaking, that of Lake Erie ; but 

 on the western side it descends lower, having been definitely recorded from Salt 

 Lake, while in the mountains it may extend as far as Arizona and New Mexico. 

 The animal is, however, now virtually exterminated throughout the United States. 

 In Europe the glutton is found at the present day in Norway, Sweden, Lapland, the 

 north of Russia, namely, in the neighborhood of the White Sea, in the Government 

 of Perm, and the whole of Siberia, and Kamchatka. In the time of Eichwald it was 

 still to be found in Lithuania, but is now extinct there. Solitary specimens have, 

 indeed, been killed in Saxony and Brunswick; but these must be regarded merely 

 as stragglers, and not as indicating that the range of the species extended so far 

 south within historic times. At an earlier period of the earth's history the glutton 

 ranged, however, to the British Isles, its fossilized remains having been discovered in 

 the caverns of Derbyshire, Glamorganshire, and the Vale of Clwyd, while they also 

 occur in the older " forest bed " of the Norfolk coast. Evidence of the former exist- 

 ence of the glutton on the continent has also been obtained in the caves of the Dor- 

 dogne in the south of France. 



In habits the glutton is almost exclusively nocturnal, there being 



but few instances of its having been seen abroad during the day; and 

 in two of these cases the animal was seen to sit up and shade its eyes with its paws, 

 as if suffering from the unaccustomed light. The glutton does not hibernate, and 

 there is no marked difference in the color of the winter and summer coat. In spite 

 of its clumsy looking appearance the animal when disturbed can make off at a very 

 rapid pace, and hunters who have occasionally seen a glutton in the shades of 

 evening speak of the hopelessness of pursuing it. It likewise ascends rough-bark 

 trees with facility, although it is said that its climbing powers are only exerted 

 when it scents food. It the pursuit of prey the glutton will readily swim rivers. 

 As a rule it is silent, although when attacked it will give vent to angry growls. 



Gluttons are found either solitary or in pairs, but generally solitary. During 

 the day they live concealed in subterranean holes, ( which are usually their breeding 

 places, and which are frequently the deserted lairs of bears. In North America the 

 young are born in June or July, the number, of individuals in a litter being, ac- 

 cording to Coues, generally four or five, but it is stated that there are sometimes 

 only a pair. The young remain with their mother till the following winter, when 

 they have to shift for themselves. The Cree Indians state that the mother is ex- 

 ceedingly fierce when defending her offspring, and at such times will not hesitate to 

 attack human beings. 



