HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 259 



In a ftate of liberty, it is faid to lead a life of continual 

 rapine. It lurks in the branches of trees, in order to 

 furprize Deer and other animals that pafs under them. 

 It waits with great patience the arrival of its prey, and 

 darts from its hiding place with unerring certainty. In 

 this manner it indiscriminately furprizes the Horfe, the 

 Elk, the Stag, or the Rein-deer ; and fixes itfelf between 

 their {boulders with its teeth and claws. 



The wild Rein-deer, which are numerous both in Lap- 

 land and North-America, frequently fall victims to the 

 Glutton. When feized by this blood-thirfty animal, it is 

 in vain that the wounded Deer endeavours to difengage 

 itfelf from its enemy by ruftling among the branches of 

 the trees : No force can oblige it to quit its hold : It 

 maintains its pofition, and continues to fuck the blood of 

 the flying animal till it falls down exhaufted with pain 

 and fatigue. It then devours the carcafe with infatiable 

 voracity, and gorges itfelf with the flefh till it is almoft 

 in danger of burfting. 



In Kamtfchatka, the Glutton makes ufe of a Angular 

 ftratagem for killing the Fallow-deer. It climbs up a 

 tree, taking with it a quantity of that fpecies of mofs 

 of which the Deer is very fond. When one of them ap- 

 proaches the tree, the Glutton throws down the mofs ; 

 and if the Deer flop to eat it, the Glutton darts upon its 

 back, and fixing itfelf firmly between its horns, tears out 

 its eyes, and by that means fecures its prey. It then 

 divides the fleOi of the Deer into a number of portions, 

 which it conceals in the earth to ferve for future provi- 

 fions. 



The motions of the Glutton are flow. There are few 

 quadrupeds that cannot efcape from it, except the Bea- 



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