THE WILD CAT OF MUSKOKA 199 



when he can find no living creature to destroy, 

 he goes in quest of the dead, whom he digs up 

 from their graves, and devours with avidity." 



Buffon subsequently remarked, after he had 

 received a living wolverene, and preserved it for 

 more than eighteen months at Paris : " He was 

 so tame that I discovered no ferocity, and he 

 did not injure any person. His voracity has 

 been as much exaggerated as his cruelty : he 

 indeed ate a good deal, but when deprived of 

 food he was not importunate. 



" The animal is pretty mild : he avoids water, 

 and dreads horses and men dressed in black. 

 He moves by a kind of leap, and eats pretty 

 voraciously. After taking a full meal he covers 

 himself in the cage with straw. When drinking 

 he laps like a dog. He utters no cry. He is 

 always in perpetual motion. If allowed, he would 

 devour more than 4 Ibs. of meat in a day." 



Audubon observes, in writing about the 

 wolverene : " That it seizes on deer or large 

 game by pouncing on them, is incredible ; it 

 neither possesses the strength nor the agility. 

 This habit has been ascribed to the Canada lynx, 

 as well as to the Bay lynx ; we do not think 

 it applies to either." 



