STORY OF THE WOLVERINE. 
One of the great states of the Union, Michigan, is given the nickname 
of an animal which was once plentiful within its boundaries, but is now 
nearly extinct in the United States—the wolverine, or, as it is called by 
naturalists, the glutton. 
While it is a very different looking animal from the weasel, and ipuch 
longer in size, naturalists classify it as a member of the weasel family. It 
inhabits the northern regions of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 
It has the same number of teeth as the marten, but they are large and power¬ 
ful and most nearly resemble the teeth of hyaenas. 
The whole animal is heavily and rather clumsily built, and walks with 
the greater part of the soles of the feet applied to the ground. The limbs 
are thick and rather short; the feet are provided with long, curved claws, 
and have their soles thickly haired. The back is much arched, and both the 
head and tail are carried low. The whole appearance of the animal is that 
of a bear cub, with a superadded tail. The head is broad and rounded, 
with a rather short and pointed muzzle, small and widely-separated eyes, 
and small rounded ears, projecting but little above the general level of the 
fur. The tail is comparatively short, thick, and bushy, with hairs varying 
491 
