Telegram-herald., 1890-06-09

inc icsrof OF ifsPfer 7OAe Nat0ral
History-Fisht Worse Than . Grizzly
Bear-How This Pair of Rare Animals
Wa Obtained and How They Live.
Superintendent Brown. Of the Zoologi-
cal garden, Is happy Head Keeper Byrnes
Is radiant and every under keeper reflects
the happiness and cheerfulness of their
superiors A pair Of wolverines has been
received az the garden and bid fair 70 live.
grow and otherwise conduct themselves
as well regulated wolverines should
4 visit TO the garden brought forth a
most interesting talk from Head Keeper
Byrnes, which was supplemented by a
long and accurate scientific description
Of the gulo luscus. as this animal Is called
What is particularly gratifying is the
fact that this pair. now IN possession Of
the philadelphia Geological garden is
the only pair known 10 be. IN captivity.
and for that matter no other garden has
even single specimen.
soME NATURAL HISTORY.
The animal belongs to the badger
family and is extremely shy and retiring
in disposition. 1t is habitant Of the
entire northern hemisphere and is not
very plentiful in any locality. II has
been known to biologists for long time.
yet about il have been related more mar
| velous tales than even of the salamander
or chameleon.
All over the world where it is found
native hunters tell incredible tales Of its
| ferocity and voracity. AS far back as 1862
Olaf Maginus, q Scandinavian writer.
mentions the wolverine and tells how,
after gorgng itself with food, it will try
TO squeeze itself between two closely
growing trees to enable it to digest its
meals, after which it will again return
! TO devour more.
Every district nearly gives it a name
and it is Unfortunately called the In
dian devil, the glutton, the quick hatch,
| the carcajou.
! Linnaus describes the animal under
the name of the one eyed glutton, and
the term one eyed is supposed TO have
come from the fact that the only speci-
men he ever saw or heard described was
| blind in one eye.
| The western trappers give the vol
VERNE q reputation for craftiness, cum
ming and general devilishness equaled by
! no other animal. They claim that it
will fight worse than grizzly bear In
fact. a scout of Superintendent Browns
! described to him fight between a vol
VERNE and she grizzly with two half
grown cubs, in which the wolverine
conquered its opponents, and declared
/ that he witnessed the whole battle from
tree.
OF course the shyness and suspicious
ness Of the animal has much to do with
! these tales, but there is no doubt that it
is far more powerful than one would
( suspect from its size. which is about that
OF n half grown setter dog. 1t is terror
to trappers from the vsy it will steal the
bait from their traps. ant if caught Will
| fight desperately.
The little ones ut the garden now have
already proved their ferocity by chewing
the hands Of two Of the keepers who i'm
prudently handled them.
HOW THE GARDEN GOT THEM.
How the Zoo obtained the specimens
ID now has is a most interesting story.
\ specimen was sent to the garden some
ten years ago which had been caught in
trap in Idaho, and had its foot badly
torn.
This was never put on exhibition. as
IL died about half An hour after its arri-
val, bat 1t was stuffed and is now on ex-
hibitiOn In the superintendents private
room. Some SIX years ago as superin-
tendent Brown was returning from n
hunting trip In the west, he stopped in
furrier's in Chicago. where he saw a
wolverines skin. Ono word led to an
other. and he made arrangements with
the firm that if they heard Of any live
ones being captured to notify him
The other day he received a telegram
stating that the father and mother hav-
ing both been shot he could obtain pair
Of young wolverines IL he desired them.
To receive such news was 70 a man of
his energy and decision equivalent 70
having them. 80 in answer % his prompt
reply expressing an earnest desire 70 get
/ them the young animals were sent on
1 They arrived N excellent condition aud
are now occupying comfortable quarters
near the svisry
Their appetite fo7 small birds, the food
that IA given them. has not as ret been
I anywhere near satisfied and they seem
70 vel deserve their popular name %
F. gluten In appearance at the present
/ tlrne-thev rssau,1hlA la-rs sE--k hav-