226 Our North Land. 



When hungry — and a state of intense hunger is its normal con- 

 dition — the wolf of the north is very dangerous. He will not only 

 attack natives, but reindeer and the musk-ox, and I am told that 

 they have even ventured to assault the white bear ; but in this contest 

 they always suffer defeat. They will eat anything from human 

 beings down to lizzards, and will devour the flesh of their own kind 

 with a keen relish. A weak, sickly or wounded wolf is sure to fall 

 a prey to the sharp teeth of its companions. They are fearfully 

 ravenous, and if one becomes greatly besmeared with the blood of 

 the prey that has been devoured, he is instantly attacked and eaten 

 up by his companions. 



The wolves usually hunt in bands, and woe be to the animal that 

 is unlucky enough to be pursued by a pack of these hungry brutes. 

 No matter how fleet it may be, it will be overtaken and devoured at 



last. A great number of 



/-- s .,.,,■., ,,, .,,.,„ , ->. these animals are annually 



captured in the far north, 

 and their skins are of con- 

 siderable value, always mar- 

 ketable, commanding high 

 prices. 



The wolverine is some- 

 times called the glutton, and 

 is noted for its ferocity. In appearance it is something like a young 

 bear. It is of a brownish black, its 'muzzle' is entirely black as far as 

 the eyebrows, and the space between the eyes is quite brown. There 

 are generally a few white spots on the under jaw. The sides of the 

 body are tinted a light brown. The paws are black, the claws of ivory. 

 These claws are highly prized among the natives. I saw an Eskimo 

 lady — a great beauty in the estimation of her people — who wore the 

 claws of a wolverine ingeniously fastened together, with the upper 

 ends hid by a tuft of fur, as a brooch or ornament. The skin of the 

 wolverine commands a high price, and is much in request. A great 

 many are annually taken in the Hudson's Bay region. 



I have already referred to the celebrated ermine, commonly called 

 the stoat. It may be a surprise to some to know that the costly 



A WOLVERINE. 



