102 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



eaten ; but no case of deer being pulled down by gluttons 

 ever came under my notice. It is an exceedingly greedy 

 animal, but does not deserve the name of glutton more 

 than some other preying animals. It is not correct 

 to describe it as gorging itself to the point of helpless- 

 ness, or to say that it is slow in its movements. Though 

 it is very bear-like in many of its habits, unlike that 

 animal, it does not hibernate. 



The trappers and colonists in Canada call it the 

 quickhatch. In the States, and among naturalists, it is 

 termed the wolverine Gulo luscus. It is a very local 

 and scarce animal in the States, where I have only seen 

 or heard of it on one or two occasions. Like most or all 

 other animals of this family, it often leaves a strong and 

 offensive scent behind it. 



As nearly all the typical small mammals of the 

 Canadian region were found in this district, this is, 

 perhaps, a good place in which to mention them. 



First, the mink. The skin of this animal forms an 

 important article of trade of the Hudson Company, and 

 many thousands of them are annually bartered by the 

 Indians and trappers. They are always caught in traps, 

 as shot would injure so small and fine a pelt. The 

 animal is about the size of a wild rabbit, but of much 

 slimmer build ; in fact it is more like a small otter than 

 any other animal to which I can compare it, and its 

 habits are those of an otter. It swims and dives with 

 great facility, and captures fish on which it preys. It 

 also devours reptiles, and small aquatic birds, which it 

 surprises while they are swimming or standing in the 

 shallow water. During our stay here my companions 

 caught more than a hundred, besides which I shot a 

 number. As I generally succeeded in hitting them on 

 the head with small shot, I did not find that the skins 

 were at all injured. But the trappers will have it 

 otherwise. These men make a principle of saving 

 powder whenever they can. 



