202 CARNIVORA FISSIPEDIA. 



terranean holes, where its young are born in June or 

 July. It is sanguinary and ferocious and masters the 

 largest animals by leaping upon them from trees, and in 

 pursuit of its prey it has been known to swim rivers. 



The Wolverine is a natural born thief, often stealing 

 things for which it has no possible use. In search of 

 food it will rob the traps set for other animals, and it 

 will devour any beast or bird it can catch. It is won- 

 derfully sagacious, and is very difficult to trap because 

 of its ability to detect the preparations made for its cap- 

 ture. Lydecker says: "When one of them has discov- 

 ered a line of Marten traps the trapper may as well re- 

 linquish his trade until he has destroyed the marauder. 

 Every trap along the line will be pulled to pieces and the 

 bait or captured marten removed, and after the hunger 

 of the Glutton is satisfied the remainder of the booty wil 

 be buried. Another curious propensity of the Glutto 

 is its habit of stealing and hiding articles which can b 

 of no posible use to it ; and an instance is recorded wher 

 these animals removed and concealed the whole para- 

 phernalia of a hunter's lodge, including such articles as 

 guns, axes, knives, cooking vessels and blankets." Strange 

 as it may seem, in spite of its cunning, this animal is itself 

 caught in large traps made to look like caches, into 

 which it will break to get the bait which is concealed in- 

 stead of being exposed in the usual way. 



The darkest specimens of this animal are found in th 

 glacial regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. The Commo: 

 Glutton or $ossomak (Urus-gulo) of Kussia has a fine 

 deep maronne color, with a darker disc. 



The fur of the Wolverine is seldom used for anythin 

 except sleigh robes and rugs, and the manufactu 

 of tails that make a good imitation of the stone marte 

 tails. 



Hot climates produce some species, which only differ 

 from the Gluttons in having one false molar less in eac 

 jaw, and a long tail. Such are the animals called Ferre 

 by the inhabitants of South America, which while the 

 have the teeth of our Ferrets and Polecats and simila 

 habits, are distinguished from them by their plantigrad 

 movement. 



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