128 CAENIVOr.A. 



neck and head are grey or grizzly ; the tail is short, and 

 covered with long bushy hair, ^Yhich is longer and almost 

 black at the tip, and shorter and browner at the base ; 

 the throat has a few white marks or patches like the 

 Marten ; the legs are usually very dark browai ; the feet 

 are furnished wdth powerful claws, which are not re- 

 tractile ; the under part is very dark l)r own, and covered 

 with long coarse hair ; the snout is brown ; it is from 

 3 to 4 feet in length ; the female has four teats. 



In the American animal there is little fur on the head. 

 This variety is large, especially in Labrador, and the 

 Esquimaux Bay district, but it is not numerous, and is 

 usually of a light colour. 



The AVolverine is most abundant in the York Fort 

 district. 



The Columbian type is dark brown, rather coarse- 

 haired, and large, somewdiat resembling the very large, 

 coarse-haired, and light-furred species of Kamschatka 

 on the opposite coast. 



The Wolverine is also found in Alaska. 



The Siberian and Eussian variety is smaller and 

 darker than the American, and it differs from the latter 

 in the extreme fineness of its fur. These rather diver- 

 gent types have not been split up into different species. 



In Albinos, which are very rare, the white saddle is 

 scarcely perceptible. Almost black examples are not 

 uncommon, especially in parts of Siberia. 



The fur of the Wolverine is rich and valuable, and 

 has much enhanced in value of late years, partly on 

 account of its scarcity, and partly through greater 

 appreciation of a very serviceable fur. 



In London 1,388 skins were sold in 1891 by the 

 Hudson's Bay Company, and 734 by other American 

 traders, l)ut this does not comprise the whole importa- 



