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2S8 HISTORY OF 



therefore, this animal seems naturally compelled to tlie Hie for 

 which it has long been remarkable. Its only resource is to 

 climb a tree, which it does with great ease, and there it waits 

 with patience until some large animal passes underneath, upon 

 which it darts down with unerring certainty, and destroys it. 



It is chiefly in North America that this voracious creature is 

 seen lurking among the tliick branches of trees, in order to sur- 

 prise the deer, with which the extensive forests of that part ot 

 the world abound. Endued with a degree of patience equal to 

 its rapacity, the glutton singles out such trees as it observes 

 marked by the teeth or the antlers of the deer ; and is known to 

 remain there watching for several days together. If it has fixed 

 upon a wrong tree, and finds that the deer have either left that 

 part of the country, or cautiously shun the place, it reluctantly 

 descends, pursues the beaver to its retreat, or even ventures into 

 the water in pursuit of fishes. But if it happens that, by long 

 attention and keeping close, at last the elk or the rein-deer hap- 

 pen to pass that way, it at once darts upon them, sticks its claws 

 between their shoulders, and remains there unalterably firm. It 

 is in vain that the large frighted animal increases its speed, or 

 threatens with its branching horns ; the glutton having taken 

 possession of its post, nothing can drive it off; its enormous 

 prey drives rapidly along amongst the thickest woods, rubs itself 

 against the largest trees, and tears doNvn the branches with its 

 expanded horns ; but still its insatiable foe sticks behind, eating 

 its neck, and digging its passage to the great blood-vessels that 

 lie in that part. Travellers who wander through those deserts, 

 often see pieces of the glutton's skin sticking to the trees, 

 against which it was rubbed by the deer. But the animal's vo- 

 racity is greater than its feelings, and it never seizes without 

 bringing down its prey. When, therefore, the deer, wounded 

 and feeble with the loss of blood, falls, the glutton is seen to 

 make up for its former abstinence by its present voracity. As 

 it is not possessed of a feast of this kind every day, it resolves 

 to lay in a store to serve it for a good while to come. It is, 

 indeed, amazing how much one of these animals can eat at a 

 time ! That which was seen by Mr Klein, although without 

 exercise or air, although taken from its native climate, and en- 

 joying but an indifferent state of health, was yet seen to eat tliir- 

 tcen pounds of flesh every day, and yet remain unsatisfied. We 



