The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-03-06

head IS broad and arched, while, relatively, tho
rOstral portion of the skull is shorter, more
massive. and truncsted more obiiquely. As
whole, the Uranium is well developed, and ex
pressive Of conventional ideas regarding the
relation between cranial contours and intelli-
gence. IT is, moreover, much ridged for the
attachment OF those powerful muscles with
which these creatures are, in proportion to
their size, exceptionally provided. There arc
Is or 30 yeTtebTsB IN the spinal column, includ-
ing the tail, the average bulk is much greater
than that OF other genera Of the same family,
and. Is Dr. Cones observes, the general appear
Hnce is rather bear-like than weasel-like."
An adElt wolverine" says this authority,
looks strikingly ike bear cub IN all Mus
tela." be adds the organization Is robust =;
while the rest OF his description is as follows:
Legs short and stout, tail short about A. long
as the head, busby, with dropping hairs;
pclage shaggy, ears low, soies censely hairy,
with SIX small NAKED pads; claws strong acute,
much curved" Those anal glands which
sccIetc the fetid fluid Characteristic OF the
family, are but moderately developed IN this
genus although It's celebration j. very similar
70 that Of the true skUBks; and. finally, the
habits are, for the most part, terrestrial. Ia
general way, the above may be considered as
applicable 10 that inyetcFate thief as w. y.
L0ckinctOn calls Il, the wolverine" But more
particularly. this " Cue-eyed bear as IL was
long. and, according 10 Lloyd, the smaller
European gluttOn j. about - OF Il .Bches high.
The wolverine j. very T0bustly bgit aud Of
immense strength for the size nearly as clumsy
a. a little bear, sub-planii2rade, aud has from
AK 10 nine inches or bone ia its tail. Its legs
arc short and thick, and tic n.assiveness Of the
skull and teeth correspond with that Of the
entire frame.
~ COLOR THE GENERAL HUE Is BLACKLIST
GRAY
whence the descriptive title, "the daIk-gray
beast but running backward along the sides
are lighter bands, which meet a. the root OF
the tai, aud there is also pale spot Oh the
forehead.
ia all books on natural history tie habitat
Of Gui0 lUscus Is set down as crcumpolar," OF
~circumpolar in both hemispheres" aud the
animal j. undoubtedly boreal one; but if its
distribution conforms 70 the rule Of uniformity
marking The polar fauna AZ large and It's range
D. continuous. then there are some facts con-
Bected with the Literature relating 10 the sub
jCct which are 50 singular a. 10 attract the
attention even Of those who, like the writer
have not made the wolverine a special study
Waving this point for the moment, the Euro
Besu aud Asiatic glutt0n, which was the only
form known before tie 18th century, il report
I'd - exist in Arctic Asia and Europe, aud In
eub-hrctic Russia and Siberia, a. well as in
the temperate iatitudes of LivOna. Poland,
l.ithUaBs. Garland, I.apiaud aud the North
LTa- Here IN America, DIR. Merriam states,
that, although not n0W al iuhabitaut Of the
AGiTOndacks," DR.. DE Kay heard Of it Oh good
authority iH the region north Of Eaquet Lake,
aud in 1911 Or. BachmaH killed one IN Rens-
seacr County. y. Y. AOFthWaTd it ranges
through the British Provinces, extends com
paTatigeiy far south ia the Rocky Mountains,
aud Is found IN Alaska. Dn the Eastern Con
tiDent the glutt0n l. stated by DR.. COucs, on
abe authority Of MCzesseHki, 10 prefer the
tuudra-the Arctic barrcns-as q residence
but 81 the West. Hearue asserts that these ami.
mails are equally The inhabitants Of woods and
barren grounds"
WITH regard 20 IFS crcumpoIar distribution,
however. there is this 10 be said, namely that
tie ubiquitous, eycr-cail0ping wolverine" a
III. NJ. Robinson calls IL, hunts sight aud day
f0r the trail Of nan as Lord Milton and Or
GhcadIe state, aud wherever it exists In proz.
unity with human beings makes It's presebci
notorious. Numerous observers describe tht
beast As being anything but shy and the infer
ence b. that explorers in country which il
Inhabited would certainly meet with some IN
dications Of it's BeighborhOOd. il they did 50
however, the fact is not mentioned IN nIauy
narrative which specify most o. the other ami
mails with whom GulO is usually associated, q.
that il Is difficult 10 diYest ones self Of Tia,
idea that this silence was intended 10 be signi
fcaut Of tie creatures absence OF at least o
Arctic y0ya2ers have set traps and ii they ba'
been robbed by this greatest aud most persist
ent enemy Of the trapper, would probably has
recorded the incident. Capt Lyon, however
ln his Private journal of the cruise Of ia
Hecla and Fury, never speaks Of Il, aud Perry
Narrative" is also blank on this suliec
NraDecil, lie AOrd DC ia S!bcrie, apparently sa'
NO wolverines, HoF did AOIdcH X Old, either +
his Arctic Voyages OF during the Cruise {
tic Vega" There is not trace Of ~ cxistcbC
IN Sir John Frankiin's account Of h.s secon
expedition. The German Arctic expedite
undeT Capt. Koldewey contains 40 notice
this animal, and the same is the case with I'll
work Of Beicher, and with Halls relation
HE
"LIFE WITH THE EsQLl&AuN."
The wolverine certainly exists ia some OF ii
localities trayersed by these explorer iu;d II
difficult 10 say Why they should BE- silent {