MUSTELINE. 207 



soft, warm fur, but always retains a somewhat unpleas- 

 ant odor. The polecat attains fifteen or sixteen inches 

 in length, without including the tail. The name polecat 



FIG. 131. 



POLECAT (Musteta putorius). 



is sometimes applied to the skunk, which is an entirely 

 different animal. The ferret, which is often employed 

 in hunting rabbits and rats, is a sort of tamed polecat. 



The wolverene or glutton of Canada is the largest of 

 the mustelidse, and next comes the pekan or wood-shock, 



FIG. 132. 



THE GLUTTON (Gulo luscus.) 



a sort of marten, whose length from the tip of his nose 

 to the end of his tail may be four and a half feet. The 

 pekan is often called fisher and black-fox. 



The weasels and martens are brown, but the neck of 



