THE CARCAJOU. THE RATEL. 



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A Carcajou. 



A Carcajou watching a herd of Deer from a tree. 



The Wolverine, Glutton, or Carcajou, inhabits North America. Accounts vary respecting the habits of 

 this animal. The older naturalists say that it ascends trees, and drops on the neck of any unfortunate 

 deer which happens to pass beneath, and that having once secured its prey, it never leaves it until the last 

 morsel is consumed. Be this as it may, the Carcajou is known to hunt after its prey, which it follows for 

 many miles at a slow but persevering pace, and seldom fails of bringing it down at last. It is especially 

 hated by the sable hunter, as it will follow him in his rounds, robbing the traps of the baits as it proceeds, 

 and should a sable be caught it generally tears it to pieces, or buries it in the snow. The hunter has some 

 slight revenge in robbing it of its skin, as the fur is in some request, but the mischief it does him is not by 

 any means counterbalanced by the value of its hide. It is a very determined animal, and when attacked 

 defends itself vigorously, proving more than a match for a dog. The length of the Carcajou, without the 

 tail, is about two feet six inches. 



The Ratel is a native of South Africa, and lives principally on the combs and honey of the wild bee, 

 although it is very probable that much of its subsistence is derived from flesh and roots. It is said to be 

 guided to the bee's nest by a bird called the Honey-guide, which, as the natives assert, being very fond of 

 honey and unable to attack the hive by itself, seeks for the Ratel, and admonishes it by a peculiar cry 

 that the desired honeycomb is not very far distant. 



The Ratel's hairs are stiff and hard, its hide is tough; and the ^animal itself difficult to- kill. The natives 

 assert that it is almost impossible to kill this creature, without givifc" .' A ° Teat number of violent blows on 

 the nose; on which account they usually destroy it by shooting it, or by plunging a KniieluwJ itS l, u ,!v. 

 The shortness of its legs will not permit it to escape by flight, when pursued by the hounds. It is able, 

 however, sometimes to extricate itself from their clutches, by biting and scratching them in a most terrible 

 manner ; while, on the other hand, it is perfectly well defended from the assaults of their teeth by the 

 toughness of its hide ; for, when a hound endeavors to bite one, it can lay hold only on this part, which 

 instantly separates from the creatures body or flesh, as it is reported to lie loose from the skin, as within a 

 sack ; so that, when any one catches hold of one by the hind part of the neck, and that even pretty near 

 the head, it can turn round, as it were, in its skin, and bite the arm that seizes it. 



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