238 TJie Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 



beef, pork, bacon, venison, salt geese, partridges, 

 &c., to a considerable amount, he carried away. 

 These animals are great enemies to the beaver, but 

 the manner of life of the latter prevents them from 

 falling into their clutches so frequently as many 

 other animals ; they commit vast depredations on 

 the foxes during the summer, while the young ones 

 are small ; their quick scent directs them to their 

 dens, and if the entrance be too small, their strength 

 enables them to widen it, and go in and kill the 

 mother and all her cubs. In fact, they are the most 

 destructive animals in this country." 



Other travellers and naturalists art equally ready 

 to chronicle the misdeeds of the wolverene. Sir 

 John Richardson, in his Fauna Boreali -Americana, 

 says: "It is a carnivorous animal, which feeds 

 chiefly upon the carcases of beasts that have been 

 killed by accident. It has great strength, and 

 annoys the natives by destroying their hoards of 

 provision, and demolishing their marten traps. It 

 is so suspicious, that it will rarely enter a trap 

 itself, but beginning behind, pulls it to pieces, 

 scatters the logs of which it is built, and then 

 carries off the bait. It feeds also on meadow mice, 

 marmots, and other rodentia, and occasionally on 

 disabled quadrupeds of a larger size^ I have seen 

 one chasing an American hare, which was at the 



