Unsin.E.- 



-MAMJIAUA.- 



-UK5ID.E. 



73 



Kenlod oiily liy a slight elevation of the integument 

 loiinj the aiulitciry opening. The teeth are thirty-two 

 ill iiumher — that is, twelve incisive, four canine, a 

 dozen spurious molars, and four true ones ; none of 

 tliese so-called grinding teeth are tuherculated, and 

 this peculiarity alone constitutes a distinctive character. 

 The limbs are short, terminating in semi-plantigrade 

 pentadactylous feet, the digits of whicli are furnished 

 with very powerful claws, and are admirably adapted 

 for the purposes of burrowing. Tlie ratel by this 

 means gnibs up the nests of wild bees, and is led to 

 tlieir haunts by watching the behaviour and return of 

 tliese insects at evening-time. He is said also, like the 

 native Hottentots, to listen to the note of the Honey 

 Guide Cuckoo, which indicates the spot where the 

 desired treasure is to be found. According to Peters, 

 it also feeds on birds, rats, and snakes, a statement 

 wliich entirely coincides with the opinion formed by 

 a distinguished naturalist who, from a careful exami- 

 nation of the dentition, was led to express the follow- 

 ing sentiments: — "It requires," observes Mr. Bennett, 

 " the most positive evidence to convince us that an 

 animal, the number and disposition of whose teeth cor- 

 respond more closely with those of the cat than any 

 other animal with wdiich we are acquainted, and 

 exhibit a carnivorous character scarcely, if at all, 

 inferior to that which is evidenced by the same organ 

 in the hyaenas, should subsist entirely, as from these 

 accounts we are led to believe, upon the petty rapine 

 of a hive of bees and the honied produce of their comb. 

 Still there exist such decisive marks of a diminished 

 capacity for preying on animal food, in the thickset 

 and clumsy form of its body, the shortness of its limbs, 

 its partially-plantigrade walk, the structure of its 

 muzzle, and even in the form of the teeth themselves, 

 as to induce us to pause before we determine to reject 

 tlie popular testimony as unworthy of credit, altliongli 

 we must regard it as doubtful on some particuhir 

 points, and iusuflicient and imperfect on the whole." 

 Messrs. Shaw and Hardwicke have described, in the 

 Transactions of the LinuiEau Societj', anotlier species of 

 ratel {Mellivora indica) inhabiting the upper regions of 

 the Indian peninsula. The tail of this form is shorter, 

 and tliere is no appearance of the characteristic white 

 band above mentioned. 



THE GLUTTON OR WOLVERENE [Gulo htsnts). — 

 As before remarked, we do not now discuss the nicely- 

 balanced question as to whether the genera here allied 

 together would be more appropriately placed among the 

 weasels or cats. No injury is done to the harmony 

 of zoological sequence by placing these animals side 

 by side with the typical forms of the great ursine group, 

 provided it is understood that we only employ the 

 family title in its most comprehensive signification. 

 The wolverene (Plate 2, fig. 3G) is about the size of the 

 common badger, and measures two and a half feet in 

 length, not including the thick bush\' tail, whicli is 

 rather more than half a foot in length, the terminal 

 hairs reaching four or iive inches further. The body 

 is strongly arched, especially along the back. The 

 head is broad and pointed at the muzzle, the ears being 

 short, rounded, and partly concealed by the fur. The 

 jaws are piovided with thirty-eight teeth — there being 



Vnt I 



twelve incisors, four canines, sixteen false and six true 

 molars, four of the latter belonging to the lower jaw. 

 The limbs are short, and terminate in semi-plantigrade 

 live-toed feet, the digits of which are furnished with 

 powerful sharp claws. The fur exhibits a dark maroon 

 or reddish-brown colour, becoming almost black as 

 winter sets in ; on either side a light reddish band, 

 inclining to white, extends from the shoulder to the 

 hip, but it is more conspicuous in some individuals 

 than in others. The hair of the tail is l)]ack, the under 

 part of the throat and chest being more or less marked 

 with pale whitish streaks. In regard to the gluttonous 

 habits of this animal, perhaps no creature has had 

 its digestive capacities more wantonly exaggerated ; 

 and in these days it is well that our records of the 

 instincts and habits of various creatures should be 

 marked by the enunciations of sober truth, and the 

 distinctions between fact and mere fiction sedulously 

 maintained. The legendary tales of Ysbrandt, Olaus 

 Magnus, BiifTon, and many others, in wdiich the fero- 

 city, cunning, and voracity of the glutton are duly set 

 forth, have too often been accepted as embodying 

 actual truths. But by far the best account yet given 

 of this animal is that by Sir John Richardson, who 

 thus fairly estimates his stomachal powers and cunning 

 propensities : — " The wolverene is a carnivorous ani- 

 mal, which feeds chiefly upon the carcasses of beasts 

 that have been killed by accident. It has great 

 strength, and annoys the natives by destroj'ing their 

 hoards of provisions and demolishing their marten 

 traps. It is so suspicious that it will rarely enter a 

 trap itself, but, beginning behind, scatters the logs of 

 which it is built, and then carries oft" the bait. It feeds 

 also on meadow-mice, marmots, and other Rodentia, 

 and occasionally on other 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 

 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 marten- 

 trapper it will pursue it for a long way. Mr. Graham 

 observes that the ' wolverenes are extremely mischiev- 

 ous, and do more damage to the small fur trade than 

 all the other rapacious animals conjointly. They will 

 follow the marten-hunter's path round a line of traps 

 extending forty, fifty, or sixty miles, and render the 

 whole unserviceable, merely to come at the baits, 

 which are generally the head of a partridge or a bit of 

 dried venison. Tliey 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 ]iath, 

 at a considerable distance from the trap. Drilts of 

 snow often conceal the repositories thus made of the 

 martens from the hunter, in which case they furnish a 

 regale to the hungry fox, whose sagacious nostril unerr- 

 ingly guides him to the spot. Two or three foxes are 

 often seen following the wolverene for this purpose.' 

 The wolverene is said to be a great destroyer of 

 beavers, but it must be only in t''e summer when those 



