WOLVERINE. 79 



which is of a deeper or more golden tint on the sides of 

 the head and the middle of the breast and body : the 

 eyes are large and black, and the ears and muzzle dull 

 violet. All the hairs of the fur are grey till within 

 one third of their length ; the latter portion being yel- 

 lowish : the tail, towards the end, is darker than the 

 colour of the body. 



The Wolverine, or Glutton. 



Gulo luscus, Sabine. Rich. North. Zool. i. 41. Ursus luscus, 

 LinncEus. Gulo Arcticus, Desmarest. Wolverine, Pennant. 

 Kablee-arioo, Esquimaux Indians. Carcajou, French 



Canadians. Quickehatch, English Canadians. 



The glutton, of which such strange and incredible 

 stories have been handed down by compilers of zoology 

 for the last hundred years, is supposed by Dr. Richard- 

 son, with every appearance of truth, to be no other than 

 the American wolverine ; an animal, of which this 

 enterprising traveller was the first who has given us any 

 authentic history. From his observations, therefore, 

 contained in the admirable volume upon American qua- 

 drupeds, with which he has enriched science, we shall 

 extract the following account. 



The wolverine was first described by La Hontan, 

 who says '' it is very like a badger, but that it is 

 larger and fiercer." It is carnivorous, and feeds chiefly 

 upon the carcases of beasts that have been killed by ac- 

 cident. It has great strength, and annoys the natives 

 by destroying their hoards of provisions, and demolish- 

 ing their marten traps. It is nevertheless so suspicious, 

 as rarely to enter a trap itself; but, beginning behind, 

 pulls it to pieces, scatters the logs of which it is built, 

 and then runs off with the bait. In this respect its 

 manners are quite as singular as t\\o?e with which it has 

 been invested by fiction. It feeds hkewise upon mea- 

 dow mice, marmots, and other similar animals ; and it 

 will occasionally disable quadrupeds of a much larger 

 size. " I have seen one," says Dr. Richardson, '^ chas- 



