THE GLUTTON. 



183 



The mode of progression is semi-plantigrade, and the animal's movements are, compared with those 

 of its nearest allies, the Martens and Weasels, slow and clumsy ; unlike these, too, it is not a good 

 climber, although the older accounts of its customs stated that it was in the habit of climbing trees, 

 and dropping suddenly down vipon large animals as they passed, and then destroying them as they fled 

 in terror at the unexpected attack. In this, as in many other instances, the imagination has largely 

 been called into play to supplement what was deficient in the actual observations of the writers. 

 Probably few animals have given rise to so many or such wild fables as the Wolverene. Its name of 



Glutton is due to the mythical account of its habits given by an early writer, Olaus Magnus, who says : 

 "It is wont, when it has found the carcass of some large beast, to eat until its belly is distended like 

 a drum, when it rids itself of its load by squeezing its body betwixt two trees growing near together, 

 and again returning to its repast, soon requires to have recourse to the same means of relief." It 

 need hardly be said that this story must be taken cum grano sails maxima. 



Besides its great strength, the Wolverene is noted for its excessive cunning, and the two qualities 

 combined give it a power of destructiveness of which one would hardly expect any animal below 

 a schoolboy to be capable. One of its favourite tricks is to frequent the " Marten-roads " that is, 

 the lines of traps for catching Martens and one by one to demolish the traps, and carry off either the 

 bait or the imprisoned animal. To make matters worse for the unlucky trapper, the Glutton's 

 experience and knowledge of traps in general are so great that he shows equal skill in avoiding those 



