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

0OlGS CuliNGlGN LOT an entirely ulHeTcnb Oulttb
than determination of the wolverines range,
would be inclined to doubt its presence on the
Arctic coasts aud islands Apart from the
silence of the old fur-traders to the northwest
coast of America-Portlock, Meares, Douglas,
etc, Elliot does not include it among the fur
bearing animals of Sitka, and Jackson appears
unconscious of its presence in Alaska, and IN the
Report of tho International Polar Expedition
10 Point Barrow" the naturalist of Lieut..
Rays command says /" The wolverine was never
seen by any of our parties, nor reported by the
natives" while he adds that the numerous
skins in possession of the EsquimauX were
brought from the interior" Cox does not
refer 10 the gutton as among the discoveries of
the Russian fur-hunters in tho islands between
Asia and America; Scorcsby seems TO know
nothing of il in Spitzbergen. Nordenskiold
and Markham do not include il among the
fauna of Novaya Xemyla: aud although DIR.
Richardson described il, Sir John Ross found
its tracks NJ Shcrifl's Harbor and the Parry oX-
petition discovered a skull on Melville Island,
DT. Kinks list of the mammals Of Danish
Greenland contains no reference TO it, and Capt.
McClintock asserts that il does not exist in that
country, though il inhabits Boothnia.
Without pursuing this matter further, it may
be suggested that the variation of habits in this
creature account for the fact that so many trav-
ocrs within its assumed habitat have appa-
rently neither seen nor heard OF il. Evidently,
considering the undOubtcd celebrity of this
beast, there must be some reason why Butler
knew nothing of it in the great sub Arctic for
est belt; why, except q notice of coo of its
skins collected ly the Fur Company in l19S.
Mackenzie never speaks of il in his travels and
why the same is the case with Atkinson and
kenGan in Siberia, Conway in Sweden
and Norway, Halliburton in Nova Scotia
and Rae in Newfoundland, Manitoba and the
intervening countries. Thompson, in his
Of nln
that the "wolvereno is very rare" there, and
that it is doubtful whether it exists ut all
upon the lower Assiuniboine. The receipt
OF skins, however from the Peace River re-
giou by the Hudson Bay Company, amounted
TO l,200 in 1872 and to 1,300 in 1882 Tho
writer learns through Mr.. VIM. T. Hornaday
that a number Of wolverines are now living in
the Yellowstone Park. the Geological Park in
Philadelphia recently possessed fine male ami
nal which came from Idaho, and another speci-
men was procured by the Stansbury expedi-
ton from Utah.
Turning now 10 accounts of the gutton, we
shall find that, as DIR. Goldman observes, the
entire subject is oyerlaid with exaggeration
and fable, and this TO au extent which often
makes il difficult to apply Dr. Coues's remark
that geological myths are generally only per-
versions of the truth. In the very able and
complete article upon the North American
Musielid9," by the aforementioned naturalist,
he dispOses of the groundwork on which
many fabulous accounts rest, by the following
statement based to a great extent upon Ms.
communications from officers of
THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY
preserved among the archives of the Smithso.
nian Institution. The wolverine is of great
strength. without corresponding agility, highly
carniverous, displaying great perse-
vercnce and sagacity in procuring food in its
northern residence when the supply is limited
or precarions; often making long uninterrupted
| journeys, although SO short legged IL is inn
! perfectly plantigrade, and does not climb trees
like most OF its allies. It lives in dens or bur
! rows, and does not hibernate. IL feeds upon
the carcasses of large animals, which it finds
already slain, but does not destroy such crea-
! lures itself its ordinary prey being of a much
/ humber character. II is q notorious thief; not
! only Of the stores Of meat and fish laid up by
! the natives, the bats Of their traps,
aud the animals so caught. but also Of articles
Of no possible service 20 itself; and avoids with
/ the most admirable cunning the various meth
DDS devised for Its destruction in retaliation"
| This is the truth; let US now see how the truth
! has been more or less embellished by fancy. ac-
cording as the relation is of an older or later
/ date
CLAUS Msgnus may be said % have written
! the imaginary biography of the wolverine in
i the 18th century, and 20 have done so with
| such success that for 200 years after, all nc
counts whether popular or purporting 10 be
/ scientific were little but repetiti0ps Of his ez-
! trayagancies, while these and all other exag'
! gerations aud misconceptions were finally an.
4 thenticaied by BuiioD. Even in oar own day
/ 30 TO speak, Lord Souihegk asserts OF this erea-
! ture that f" its courage IS dauntless, 10 fees
! neither from man nor beast In fact, most
observers speak Of IL as fcr0c.Ous and some also
. state that IL tOriures It's prey. DIR. COnes sup
Il. . a. L
/ man, and Robinson was assaulted by IA trapped
animal But all this was nothing in compare
son with the puissant supeTnaturaly powerful
/ and slgaciOgs beast Of the older writer's tb(
guttOn OF Bishop POntOppidon, for example
who " has the b0ldncss 10 attack every creature
he can possibly conquer" Sir John Ross re
ports visit from a wolverine to his ship while
the deck was full Of men, aud Hearne says h'
saw the incident referred TO by DIR. COues O
one having stood to DC shot rather than abandon
fallen deer. But such incidents are Of the
same class as AudeTson's account Of the lior
who walked into q church in South Africa, anC
l'lhc explanation Of this behavior is that tht
animals were starving. IIartwig dcnounce
the fables worthy OF Munchausen that ar
told about gluttOns but adds that they vii
indeed kill ia one night xix or eight reindeer
destroying them by single bite OH the neck
and sucking their blood" That "Emigen
Naturalist" as he is called ia the advertisement
who supervised the edition of Goldsmith 10
1893, has left untouched the stories Of
THE AMBUSH OF GCLo ~ TREES
and Of its springing upon the backs of elk AM
deer, "a BOrin describes, from which situation
Lloyd protests " no effort can dislodge IL
until the flying animal falls down exhausted.
4 Under these circumstances the attacked crea
turc rushCs under bOughs and through thicket
ia the attempt 10 displacc lis assailant, aud il
consequence Goldsmith says. travellers VIII
wander through these deserts often sec piece
Of the gluttOn's skin sticking 10 the trees"
Much misunderstanding with reference I
! the habits and character Of the carcaiou prOba
bly, arose from the fact that formerly IL wa
constantly COMPOUNDED with the puma lynx an
badger Even CaVcr was not free from sue
! misconceptions, aud il is not surprising tina
such mon az La HOntan Lawson or Graham
indeed its earlier DISORDERS generally, shout
have been inaccurate.
! Already il has been said that the name glut
ton j. s!audcrous; that as Lloyd remarks, 81
is doubtful ii Sc (the carcajOu) eats more a
q one time than other beasts Of prey Of the sam
} size" stu, tie old superstition passes current
E aud The animal Is commOnly imagined after th
manner Of Participation, viz, as Unsuitable. :"
he finds a carcass" says the Bishop, six time
as big M himself, he does not leave off catin
a. long as there is q mOuthful left" and whe
distendcd and tympanitic, swollen beyond mea
{ urc, he relieves himself according TO Olau
3 Magnus, by mechanical means" Inventaqu
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