IN THE FAR WEST. 385 



resemble a cache as much as possible, and the natural propen- 

 sity of the creature then induces it to steal whatever that 

 contains. No clumsy contrivance will do to catch it, however, 

 and if the trap be of steel and it is not well fastened, the 

 wolverine will probably walk away with it. 



The animal will, it is said, shade its eyes with its paws on 

 seeing a man approaching it from the leeward, and gaze at 

 him intently, until he draws quite near, and it will then either 

 retreat or show fight, according to its disposition. It does not 

 climb trees, nor hibernate ; and its ordinary food is small 

 animals, or such offal as it may find. It is, on the whole, one 

 of the most interesting creatures in the country, and possesses 

 an individuality of character which none of its allies can 

 boast. It is probably the greatest enemy the fox has, as it 

 will open up the burrows of the latter and devour the cubs, 

 and their parents if convenient, in the most ravenous manner. 

 It is as destructive to reynard and all his offspring as the 

 latter is to the denizens of the farmyard, and the result is that 

 it destroys many young foxes in the course of the year. 



Its allies of the Mustelina are very numerous in some por- 

 tions of the North-west, a fact that is evident from the large 

 number of peltries sold annually in Europe. The greater 

 portion of these are purchased for the French, German, and 

 Russian markets, where furs are largely worn, the finest quality 

 being generally shipped to the latter country. Of these the 

 mink, marten, and fisher are the most important, and they are 

 followed by the muskrat, polecat, and badger. These animals 

 are nearly all caught in steel traps or in garrotes or wooden 

 dead-falls, and it is anything but pleasant to approach some 

 of them, especially the mink (Putorlns visori), as it emits an 

 effluvium which is only exceeded in foulness by that of the 

 skunk. This has its use, however, for trappers employ the 

 fluid to scent baits, in order to make them more efficacious. 

 The mink is very abundant where rivers are few, as it then keeps 

 in colonies, and is not so widely dispersed as when the streams 

 are common. I have seen dozens of these creatures within a 

 distance of two miles in some portions of the North-west, but 

 I found it of little use to try and shoot them in the water, as 



c c 



