CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 5. CARNIVORA. 301 



less distinct, and sometimes fading into soiled brownish white, commences behind the shoulder, 

 and running along the flanks turns up on the hip and unites with its fellow on the rump; the 

 short tail thickly covered with long black hair; some white markings, not constant in size or 

 number, on the throat and between the fore-legs; legs brownish black; claws strong and sharp. 

 In walking, it places its feet on the ground much in the manner of a bear, and imprints a track on 

 the snow or sand which is often mistaken for that of the bear by Europeans on their first arrival 

 in the fur countries ; but the Indians distinguish the tracks at the first glance by the length of 

 the steps. The female produces from two to four once a year, the cubs being covered with a 

 downy fur of a pale cream-color. The reputation of the wolverene for voracity is not wholly 

 unwarranted. It feeds on the carcasses of animals it meets with which have been killed by acci- 

 dent; it devours mice, marmots, hares, and other rodentia. It is said to be -a great destrover of 

 beavers. Mr. Graham informs us that the wolverenes are extremely mischievous, and that they 

 ilo more damage to the small fur-trade than all the other animals conjointly. They will, he states, 

 follow the marten-hunter's path round a line of traps extending forty, fifty, or sixty miles, and ren- 

 der the whole unserviceable, merely to come at the baits, which are generally the head of a par- 

 tridge or a bit of dried venison. They are not fond of the martens themselves, but never fail of 

 tearing them in pieces, or of burying them in the snow by the side of the path, at a considerable 

 ' distance from the trap. Drifts of snow often conceal the repositories thus made of the martens 

 at the expense of the hunter, in which case they furnish a regale for the hungry fox, whose saga- 

 cious nostril guides him unerringly to the spot; and two or three foxes are often seen following 

 the wolverene for this purpose. 



Sir John Richardson says: "This animal is so suspicious, that it will rarely enter a trap itself, 

 but beginning behind, pulls it to pieces, scatters the logs of which it is built, and then carries off 

 the bait. It feeds on various small animals, and occasionally on disabled quadrupeds of a larger 

 size. I have seen one chasing an American hare, which was at the same time harassed by a 

 snowy owl. It resembles the bear in its gait, and is not fleet; but it is very industrious, and no 

 doubt feeds well, as it is generally fat. It is much abroad in the winter, and the track of its 

 journey in a single night may be often traced for many miles. From the shortness of its legs, it 

 makes its way through loose snow with difficulty, but when it falls upon the beaten track of a 

 marton-trapper, it will pursue it for a long way. It is reported to defend itself with boldness and 

 success against the attack of other quadrupeds, but it flees from the face of man, and makes but 

 a poor fight with a hunter, who requires no other arms than a stick to kill it." 



Sir James Ross. gives a striking instance of the boldness of the species when urged by famine. 

 "At "N ietoria Harbor, in the middle of the winter, two or three months before we abandoned the 

 ship, we were one day surprised by a visit from one, which, pressed hard by hunger, had climbed 

 the snow-wall that surrounded our vessel, and came boldly on deck, where our crew were walk- 

 ing for exercise. Undismayed at the presence of twelve or fourteen men, he seized upon a can- 

 ister which had some meat in it, and was in so ravenous a state, that while busily engaged at his 

 feast he suffered me to pass a noose over his head, by which he was immediately secured and 

 strangled. By discharging the contents of two secretory organs, it emitted a most insupportable 

 ■h. These secretory vessels are about the size of a walnut, and discharge a fluid of a yellow- 

 ish-brown color, and of the consistence of honey, by the rectum, when hard pressed by its 

 enemies." 



The skin of the wolverene is valued in Kamtschatka, the Avomen dressing their hair with its 

 white paws, which they esteem a great ornament. That of the Asiatic and European variety is 

 much fiuer, blacker, and more glossy than the American ones, the latter resembling the fur of a 

 idack bear. 



Genus RATEL: Mellivora, or Honey-Eaters. — Of this genus there are two species, the Cape 

 Uatel, or Bharsiah, and the Indian Ratel. Of the former, M. Capensis of Cuvier, the hair is 

 •ather smooth, but stiff and wiry; body above, from the top of the head to .the root of the tail, 

 lull ash-gray, whitest toward the head; muzzle, space round the eyes and ears, limbs, all the 

 inder parts, and rest of the tail, black; claws on the fore-feet long, the middle three longest, the 

 ruVnal claw placed much more backward than the rest; bulk about that of a badger; total 



