114 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOBEST. 



chestnut bands, wMcli begin at eitber shoulder, ex- 

 tend down the flanks, and meet at the root of the 

 tail ; this is short, bushy, and characterized by long 

 drooping hairs. His back is high and arched, and 

 his head and tail are carried low. The forehead is 

 a light gray color, and beneath the throat is another 

 patch of the same pale tint. The head is broad and 

 rounded, the muzzle pointed, the beadlike eyes are 

 small, and the rounded ears (well furred on both 

 sides) are set low, and scarcely extend beyond the 

 fur in their vicinity. The feet are large and black- 

 ish, with sharp, curved, whitish claws about an inch 

 long. 



The wolverene, like others of its tribe, possesses 

 anal glands which secrete a disgustingly nauseous, yel- 

 low-brown fluid, which is discharged by the usual 

 nipplelike duct terminations situated just within the 

 anus ; the odor is ten times as bad as that of the 

 skunk. But a more serious characteristic of this ani- 

 mal is his propensity to steal and hide things. He 

 annoys the Northern trappers by upsetting their 

 traps, stealing the bait, and sometimes killing and de- 

 vouring the martens which are caught. 



A Mr. Ross relates the following: "An instance 

 occurred within my own knowledge in which a hunt- 

 er and his family having left their lodge unguarded 

 during their absence, on their return found it com- 



