374 



THE WOLVERENE. 



it walks into its bath, rolls about in the water for a second or two, and then addresses 

 itself with renewed vigor to its curious antics. 



The color of the Ratel is black upon the muzzle, the limbs, and the whole of the 

 under portions of the body ; but upon the upper part of the head, neck, back, ribs, and 

 tail, the animal is furnished with a thick covering of long hairs, which are of an ashy- 

 gray color. A bright gray stripe, about an inch in width, runs along each side and 

 serves as a line of demarcation between the light and the dark portions of the fur. The 

 ears of the Ratel are extremely short. The lighter fur of the back is variously tinted in 

 different individuals, some being of the whitish-gray which has been already mentioned, 

 and others remarkable for a decided tinge of red. The length of the Cape Ratel is 

 rather more than three feet, inclusive of the tail, which measures eight or nine inches in 

 length. In its walk it is plantigrade, and has so much of the ursine character in its 

 movements that it has been called the Indian or Honey Bear. It is sometimes known 

 under the title of " Bharsiah." 



The animal which has just been described is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, being 

 found in great profusion at the Cape of Good Hope. There is, however, an Indian 

 species of Ratel, which very closely resembles the African animal, and in the opinion 

 of some writers is identical with it. 



The Indian Ratel is said to be an extremely voracious animal, prowling about the 

 vicinity of human habitations, and not unfrequently paying a visit to the burial-grounds 

 in search of newly-interred corpses. It is necessary for the friends of the deceased 

 person to barricade the grave with thorny bushes, in order to defend it from the 

 sharp and powerful claws of the Ratel, which can work their way through the 

 earth with singular rapidity. It is very commonly found along the course of the 

 Ganges and Jumna, especially frequenting the lofty banks for which those rivers 

 are noted. 



It is so expert a burrower that it is said to be able to bury itself beneath the surface 

 in ten minutes, even though working in hard and stiff soil ; while digging, it plies 

 its limbs with such exceeding good-will that it flings the loosened soil to a distance of 

 some yards. When taken young, it is easily tamed, and becomes a very amusing 

 animal, diverting the spectators by the singular antics which it plays. But if an adult 

 specimen should be captured, it cannot reconcile itself to the loss of its liberty, and 

 struggles vainly to make its escape, until it dies from the mingled effects of hunger and 

 excitement. 



Flesh of all kind is acceptable to the Indian Ratel, and it seems to have a great 

 predilection for rats, mice, and birds in a living state. It is generally drowsy by day, 

 and only rouses itself from its slumbers at the approach of evening. The natives speak 

 of it under the name of " Beejoo." 



The WOLVERENE, more popularly known by the name of the GLUTTON, has earned for 

 itself a world-wide reputation for ferocity, and has given occasion to some of the 

 older writers on natural history to indulge in the most unshackled liberty of de- 

 scription. 



Voracious it certainly is, having been known to consume thirteen pounds of meat in a 

 single day, and it is probable that if the animal had been living in a wild state it could 

 have eaten even a larger amount of food. It was said by the older naturalists to prey upon 

 deer, which it killed by cunningly dropping on the ground a heap of the moss on which 

 the deer feeds, and then climbing upon a branch which overhung the spot. As soon as 

 the deer passed beneath the tree, the Glutton was said to leap upon its shoulders, and to 

 cling there until it had brought the deer to the ground. This and similar tales, however, 

 rest on no good foundation. 



It is known that the Glutton feeds largely on the smaller quadrupeds, and that it is 

 a most determined foe to the beaver in the summer months. During the winter it has 

 little chance of catching a beaver, for the animals are quietly ensconced in their home, 

 and their houses are rendered so strong by the intense cold that the Glutton is unable 

 to break through their ice-hardened walls. 



The Wolverene is an inhabitant of Northern America, Siberia, and of a great part of 



