THE SABLE AND WEASELS. 297 



them in their own retreats; and it is the work of a few 

 minutes for this vigorous miner to so enlarge tlieir burrows 

 that it can enter and reaeli the deepest recesses. The 

 badger, like the spermophiles, is mostly confined to the 

 western plains. 



The wolverene, glutton, or carcajou [Gulo luscus) inhab- 

 its the forests of northern America and the colder parts of 

 Russia and Siberia as well as the Arctic regions. It is 

 lieavy and clumsy, with short thick legs, shaggy and two or 

 three feet long. Its strength, ferocity, thievishness, and 

 cunning as well as gluttonous disposition are notorious; 

 hence its name "Indian devil." It is now very rare in the 

 United States. It brings forth its four or five young late 

 in June and early in July in burrows underground. 



The fisher or pekan (Mustela Pennantii) is a large, pow- 

 fal animal intermediate between the wolverene and mai'ten. 

 Large individuals are a foot high and three and a half feet 

 long. It frequents deep forests and wooded mountain-sides, 

 and nests in hollow trees, and brings forth from two to four 

 young about the first of May (Merriam). Its name fisher 

 is misleading, as it lives away from water and seldom eats 

 fish. 



The marten or American sable (Mustela Americana) which 

 is one of the most valuable of our fur animals is about tlie 

 size of a large house cat, though the legs are shorter; it is 

 about a foot and a half in length. It preys on partridges, 

 rabbits, squirrels, mice, shrews, as well as birds' eggs and 

 young birds. It abounds most in pine forests, and hence 

 is often called the pine marten. It nests in hollow trees, 

 rarely in the ground, and it has from two to eight young 

 in April. 



The weasels are much smaller than the sable, the body 

 being slender and the fur turns white in winter. The 

 least weasel {Putorius vulyaris) is said to have two or 

 three litters in a year, having four or five young at a time. 

 It hunts mice, moles, shrews, entering their burrows, and 

 alio devours small birds and eggs. The ermine or stoat 



