244 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



The Wolverine is widely distributed in the forested regions of 

 the U. S. S. R. as a whole (Russia and Siberia) . It is less common in 

 northern Russia than in Siberia. Its decrease in central Russia 

 results from the decrease of the forest cover. It is very common in 

 parts of Siberia. It causes great damage to hunting interests, taking 

 animals caught in traps, destroying hunters' provisions, attacking 

 young ungulates and even adults in deep snow. It is not legally 

 protected and may be killed at any time. (W. G. Heptner, in litt., 

 December, 1936.) 



Sakhalin. "Schrenck and Kishida reported it from the island. It 

 is ... a rare 'animal on Sakhalin." (Kuroda, 1928, p. 227.) A speci- 

 men was taken in 1934 (Kuroda, 1938, p. 26) . 



Manchuria. "I heard sufficient from authentic sources to con- 

 vince me that the animal is fairly common, at least in the northern 

 forested area" (Sowerby, 1923, p. 71). 



Mongolia. The species is reported in the Tannu-Ola Mountains 

 (Ognev, 1935, pp. 98, 100) . "I once saw a skin from the Urga district 

 in Northern Mongolia" (Sowerby, 1923, p. 71). 



Economics. "Wolverine fur has been much in vogue of late 

 years, and has consequently appreciated in value. For a good skin, 

 thirty shillings is often asked." (Lydekker, 1901, p. 112.) 



The world's fur production for 1928 included 6,000 Wolverine 

 skins [some probably from North America] (Jour. Soc. Preservation 

 Fauna Empire, pt. 12, p. 64, 1930) . 



Folklore. Many curious bits of folklore concerning the Wolverine 

 have been handed down. Some of them are quoted by Lloyd (1854, 

 pp. 16-18) from Pontoppidan and Olaus Magnus. 



Family VIVERRIDAE: Civets, Mongooses, etc. 



This Old World family ranges over southern Europe, Africa, 

 Madagascar, southern Asia, and the Malay Archipelago as far as 

 Timor, Ceram, and the Philippines. There are about 40 genera and 

 350-400 forms. Accounts of six forms are given here. 



Malay Binturong; Bear-cat; Black Marten. Bintoeroeng 



(Dutch) 



ARCTICTIS BINTURONG BINTURONG (Raffles) 



Viverra? Binturong Raffles, Trans. Linnean Soc. London, vol. 13, pt. 1, p. 253, 



1821. ("Malacca,") 

 FIGS.: Geoffroy and Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mammiferes, vol. 5, pis. 201, 202 



(subsp.?), 1824; Sclater and Sclater, 1899, p. 128, fig. 26; Lydekker, 1900, 



pi. 9, fig. 1 (subsp.?). 



Opinions differ as to the rarity of the Binturong, the six subspecies 

 of which range from northeastern India and Tonkin through the 



