334 
throat with its sharp teeth. In vain does the animal make most 
desperate efforts to get rid of its ferocious assailant ; nothing 
hut the chance intervention of Man could then save it. The 
Glutton fears not to attack some of the large Ruminants, 
such as the Reindeer and Elk, and, it is said, seldom unsuc- 
cessfully. 
Buffon was in possession of a living specimen of this animal, 
which captivity had much subdued. It ate very largely, and with 
such greediness that it was several times nearly choking. It could 
devour more than four pounds of meat at a single meal. 
The Grison, a native of South America, also deserves attention. 
Fig. 132.— Wolverine, or Glutton (Vrsus gulo , Pallas and Gmelinj. 
Its proclivities are similar to those of the Glutton. This is the 
Gulo vittatus of Desmarest. 
The Skunks (Mephitis, Cuv.) — In their size and general shape 
the Skunks approach the larger species of Marten ; hut they 
differ much from them in their dental system, being organised 
for an omnivorous system of food. Their coat is very thick, 
silky, and varied with black and white in colour ; the tail is 
bushy, and capable of being raised over the back like a plume. 
These animals inhabit the two Americas, from Hudson’s Bay to 
Cape Horn, and are remarkable for the horrible stench which 
they diffuse around them when provoked. This liquid, the 
effluvium of which no living creature can endure, is their weapon 
of defence, and so powerful is it that clothing once touched by 
it is rendered unwearable. 
