Fes., 1912. MamMats or ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 355 
Mr. Edward G. Kingsford of Iron Mountain, Michigan, a gentleman 
who is perfectly familiar with this animal, writes me as follows: ‘‘From 
1880 until 1900 I was in the woods of northern Wisconsin, Michigan 
and Minnesota nearly all the time, both summer and winter. I have 
never heard of a Wolverine being killed nearer here than the Rainey 
Lake District of Minnesota and have never seen the tracks of one here. 
About 1895 to 1897 they were quite plentiful in northern Minnesota. 
Trappers complained of their depredations the same as they did here in 
the early days, so it is quite probable that they may have been killed 
not many years ago in the northwestern part of Wisconsin, as they are 
great travellers.” 
The Milwaukee Public Museum collection contains two mounted 
specimens which may or may not have been actually taken in the state, 
as they are labeled ‘‘Wisconsin,’’ without date or locality. 
From its earliest mention by writers in the 16th century, the Wolver- 
ine or Glutton, as it was called, has been the subject of the most extra- 
ordinary tales and superstitions. Fabulous stories were told of its 
ferocity, strength and sagacity, which each succeeding writer gravely 
repeated, usually adding something equally extravagant on his own 
account. Olaus Magnus (1562) was responsible for one of the most 
ridiculous fables which seems to have been accepted without comment 
and apparently endorsed by various writers for two hundred years. 
According to his account, the Glutton, after feasting upon the carcass of 
a large animal until its belly was swollen to such an extent it could hold 
no more, obtained relief by squeezing itself between two trees in order 
that it might return to glut itself anew.* Topsell considered this 
absurd story worthy of pictorial illustration and not to be outdone by 
his predecessors, gravely informs us that when the beast can find no 
trees growing sufficiently near together to accomplish his purpose, 
“then taketh he an Alder-tree and with his fore-feete rendeth the same 
asunder, and passeth through the middest of it for the cause aforesaid.”’T 
Other writers allowed their imagination free play in commenting upon 
its wonderful sagacity. I quote from Dr. Elliott Coues’s charmingly 
written history of this animal. He says: “Still in the track of the 
marvellous, we read how the Glutton, too clumsy and tardy of foot to 
overtake large Ruminants, betakes itself to the trees beneath which 
they may pass, and there crouches in wait for its victim; it drops like 
*"Hoc animal voracissimum est, reperto namique cadavere tantum vorat ut 
violento cibo corpus instar tympani extendatur: inventaque angustia inter arbores se 
stringit ut violentius egerat: sicque extenuatum revertitur ad cadaver et ad summum 
usque repletur, iterumque se strigit angustia priore.’’ (Olaus Magnus, Historia de 
Gentibus Septentrionalibus, 1652, p. 138.) 
t Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 262. 
