212 THE WOLVERENE. 



GENERAL KEMAEKS. 



This species has been arranged by different authors under several 

 genera. Linnaeus placed it under both Mustela and Ursus. Store esta- 

 blished for it the genus Ghlo, which was formed from the specific name, 

 as it had been called Ursus Gulo, by Linn.eus. Stoee's generic name has 

 been since adopted by Cuvier and other modern naturalists. Gray nam- 

 ed it Grisonia. Linn^us is notwithstanding entitled to the specific name, 

 although this is the result of an error into which he was led in this man- 

 ner : Edwards had made a figure from a living specimen imported from 

 America. It was a strongly marked variety, with much white on its fore- 

 head, sides, and neck. Linn^us regarding it as a new species described 

 it as such. In seeking for some name by which to designate it, he ob- 

 served that it had lost one eye, and it is supposed applied the trivial 

 name " luscus," one-eyed, to the animal, merely on account of the above 

 accidental blemish. 



The vulgar names Glutton, Carcajou, &c., have given rise to much 

 confusion in regard to the habits of the species. 



The name Glutton induced many ancient authors to ascribe to it an 

 appetite of extravagant voraciousness. 



Carcajou appears to be some Indian name adopted by the French, and 

 this name has evidently been applied to different species of animals. 

 Charlevoix, in his Voyage to America, vol. i., p. 201, speaks of the " car- 

 cajou or quincajou, a kind of cat, with a tail so long that he twists it 

 several times round his body, and with a skin of a brownish red." He 

 then refers to his climbing a tree, where after two foxes have driven the 

 elk under the tree, the cat being on the watch pounces on it in the 

 manner ascribed to the Wolverene. Here he evidently alludes to the 

 cougar, as his long tail and colour apply to no other animal in our coun- 

 try. Lawson refers the same singular habit to the wild cat of Carolina ; 

 he says, (p. 118,) " the wild cat takes most of his prey by surprise, getting 

 up the trees which they pass by or under, and thence leaping directly 

 upon them. Thus he takes deer, which he cannot catch by running, and 

 fastens his teeth into their shoulders. They run with him till they fall 

 down for want of strength and become a prey to the enemy." 



In the last work published on American Quadrupeds, Lawsok is quoted 

 as authority for the former existence of the Wolverene in Carolina, and 

 a reference is also made to a plate of that species. On looking over the 

 work of Lawson, (London, 1709,) we find that no mention is made of the 

 Wolverene, and no plate of the animal is given. We have supposed it 



