THE GLUTTON. 



PLATE XXXVII . T HE GLUTTON. 



THE Glutton, which is so called from its voracious ap- 

 petite, is an animal found as well in the north of Europe 

 and Siberia, as in the northern parts of America, where it 

 has the name of the carcajou. Amidst the variety of de- 

 scriptions which have been given of it, no very just idea 

 can be formed of its figure ; and, indeed, some naturalists, 

 among whom was Ray, entirely doubted of its existence. 

 From the best accounts, however, we have of it, the body 

 is thick and long, the legs short ; it is black along the back, 

 and of a reddish brown on the sides ; its fur is held in the 

 highest estimation, for its softness and beautiful gloss ; the 

 tail is bushy, like that of the weasel, but rather shorter ; and 

 its legs and claws are better fitted for climbling trees, than 

 for running alongthe ground. Thus far it entirely resembles 

 the weasel ; and its manner of taking its prey is also by 

 surprise, and not by pursuit. 



Scarcely any of the animals with short legs and long bodies 

 pursue their prey ; but, knowing their own incapacity to 

 overtake it by swiftness, either creep upon it in its retreats, 

 or wait in ambush and seize it with a bound. The Glutton, 

 from the make of its legs, and the length of its body, must 

 be particularly slow ; and, consequently, its only resource 

 is in taking its prey by surprise. All the rest of the weasel 

 kind, from the smallness of their size, are better fitted for 

 a life of insidious rapine than this ; they can pursue their 

 prey into its retreats, they can lurk unseen among the 

 branches of trees, and hide themselves with ease under the 

 leaves : but the Glutton is too large to follow small prey 

 into their retreats ; nor would such, even if obtained, be 

 sufficient to sustain it. For these reasons, therefore, this 

 19. 



