202 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



shipboard, having fearlessly climbed over the banked snow 

 in search of food which, from his thin condition, he much 

 needed. 



When in prime condition, the fur of the wolverine is 

 highly prized by the Eskimos, more so than that of the wolf, 

 for the purpose of trimming the hood and other portions of 

 their outer reindeer-skin clothing. Several skulls of adults 

 and two skins and skulls of young animals were secured at 

 Fort Anderson and duly forwarded to the Smithsonian 

 Institution at Washington. 



The Company of Adventurers of England trading in 

 Hudson's Bay received and sold in London 32,975 skins of 

 this species from 1853 to 1877. The returns were lowest in 

 the years 1857 (923), 1866 (909), and 1867 (768). The 

 three best sales of skins in the statement were in 1871 

 (1,848), 1873 (2,095), and 1874 (1,763). The sales for 

 1.902 and 1903 amounted to only 635 and 695 skins, respect- 

 ively. It is estimated that the old northern districts of 

 Athabasca and Mackenzie River furnished fully two-fifths 

 of the foregoing quantities. 



As the habits and depredations of this " uncivilized rob- 

 ber " have already been fully and frequently recounted by 

 naturalists, I need not add to its well-known record. I may, 

 however, say that copulation of the sexes takes place in the 

 months of March and April, and that the female brings forth 

 the offspring about sixty days later. They are from one to 

 three, four, and occasionally as many as five, in number. 

 They are said to be born blind, and are very frail for some 

 time, but soon acqviire more strength. Suckling is supposed 

 to last for two or three months. A discarded beaver-lodge, 

 a vacant bear-hole, or any other suitable depression in the 

 ground, serves as a nest. The male is supposed to render 

 some assistance in rearing the young. 



Fortunately for the natives, who suffer so much from his 

 depredations, the carcajou is not very abundant anywhere, 

 although doubtless too much so everywhere, for the reason 



