30 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



PartL 



THE WOLVERENE. 



THE WEASEL. 



THE WOLVERENE. 

 Gulo luscris. — Sabine. 



Description. — Head broad and round- 

 ed ; jaws like the dog ; ears low, rounded 

 and much hidden by the fur : back arch- 

 ed ; tail low and bushy ; legs thick and 

 short and the whole aspect of the ani- 

 mal indicates more strength than activi- 

 ty. Color dark brown, passing into al- 

 most black on the back in winter with a 

 pale reddish brown band passing from 

 each shoulder along the flanks and meet- 

 ing on the rump. Fur similar to that of 

 the bear, but not so long noi valuable. 

 The tail is tliickly covered with long 

 black hair. Some white marking on the 

 throat and between the fore legs ; legs 

 brownish black ; claws strong and sharp. 

 Length 2 feet 6 inches; tail (verttbrce) 

 7 inches; tail with the fur 10 inches. 



History — This animal was occasional- 

 ly found when the country was new, in all 

 parts of the state, but was never very plen- 

 tiful. For many years past, however, it has 

 been known only in the most woody and 

 unsettled districts, and in such places it 

 is now extremely rare, none having been 

 met with to my knowledge for several 

 years. According to Dr. Richardson, 

 from whose work the above description is 

 abridged, this animal is quite common in 

 the fur countries at the north, and is a 

 great annoyance to the hunters, robbing 

 their traps of game, or of the bait, which 

 they do so dexterously as seldom to be 

 caught themselves.* The Wolverene is 

 represented as being very fierce and car- 

 niverous in its disposition, and many mar- 

 vellous stories have been told of its cun- 

 ning and artifice and gormandizing pro- 

 pensities, which are totally unfounded. Its 

 food ordinarily consists of mice, moles, 

 hares and otiier small animals, seldom 

 meddling with larger ones, excepting such 

 as have been previously killed or disabled. 

 It produces once a year from two to four 

 cubs which are c<ivered with a downy fur 

 of a pale cream color. It is found through- 

 out all tlie northern parts of North Amer- 

 ica, even as far north as the 7oth degree 

 of latitude. 



Genus ,Mustela. — Linnaeus. 

 Generic Characters. — Teeth 34 or 38— Incis- 

 ors i canines J.l, grinders L.L or s.i. 

 Second inferior incisors on each side slightly re- 

 cedintr ; canines sirong ; grinders cutting; the 

 anterior fals" sr'nders conical and compressed : 

 true grinders trilobate, the last with a blunt crown. 

 Body long aiiJ cylindrical ; head small and oval : 

 ears short and round ; legs short ; toes 5, armed 



with sharp, crooked claws, and glands producing 

 a strong, fetid secretion. 



*Fauna Boreali) I. 41. 



THE WEASEL. 

 Mustcla vulgaris. — Linnaeus. 



Putoritis vulgaris, — Cuvier. 



Description. — Color above, in summer 

 dull yellowish brown deepening into hair 

 brown on the upper part of the head and 

 nose, and yellowish white beneath, the 

 brown extending in a rounded spot into 

 the white behind the angle of the mouth ; 

 tail next the body the same color as the 

 back, but darker as it approaches the ex- 

 tremity, where it is quite black, and the 

 hairs terminate in a point resembling that 

 of a camel's hair pencil. Color iii winter 

 wholly white, excepting the posterior 

 half of the tail, whiph is always black, or 

 reddish brown. Forehead flatlsh ; ears 

 slicrhtly pointed ; e^^es small, black and 

 lively; body long and cylindrical; tail 

 short, less than half the length of the 

 body. Length of the head and body of 

 the specimen before me 8 inches ; tail 

 {vertebra:) '2 inches. 



History. — The Weasel, though no- 

 where greatly multiplied, is frequently 

 met with in ail parts of Vermont. It is 

 generally seen in stone walls, old fences 

 and heaps of bushes. When in sight it 

 seems to be always in motion and its mo- 

 tions are very quick. When in a stone 

 wall or heap of bushes he will sometimes 

 show himself for an instant in half a doz- 

 en places in the course of half that num- 

 ber of minutes. The weasel feeds upon 

 mice, young rats, young birds and birds 

 e(T(rs,and sometimes commits depredations 

 upon the eggs and young of our domestic 

 fowls. It is not uncommon for it to enter 

 the barns and granaries and cellars of the 

 farmers in quest of food, and particularly 

 in pursuit of mice, of whicJi it destroys 

 larcre numbers, and on which account it 

 micjit be regarded as a public benefactor, 

 were it not for its occasional depredations 

 upon the poultry yard. The feinale pro- 

 duces her 3'oung several times in the 

 course of the year and has from three to 

 five at a litter. But notwithstanding their 

 apparent fecundity, they never become 

 very numerous. 



