Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-04-24
THEY SAY HE'S BRAINY.
THE WOLVERINE HAS THAT REP
UTATION.
Human Intelligence and sagaeity are
Especially Noticeable In the AMI
maI-several Interesting
Wolverine Stories.

Human intelligence and sagaclty are
more nearly reached By the wolverine
than by any other Srimal on the globe,
and it would not be difficult to prove
this. But to place it above the ele-
plant and the anthropoid apes of the
Old World may be too bold step, and
we may content ourselves with claim
ing for it the supremacy among ami
mails indigenous TO the western hemi-
sphere.
OF the almost phenomenal keeaness
of wit possessed by this animal we may
cite n few misunderstood the wild
stories OF irresponsible hunters, but
fully authenticated. 1t is common
habit of the wolverine TO spring
baited trap without being itself caught,
although no person has ever succeeded
in detecting the method by which this
is accomplished. A trapper in the far
north, finding that the bait was stolen
from long line of traps faster than he
could attend to them, resolved to en-
trap the wary thief. Dcadfalls and
pit-traps were of no avail. The VOL
VERNE sprung the former by methods
known only to himself, and after dig
ging up the bait from the latter he
filed up the pits with stones and rub
bish.
As Il last resort the trapper set n
| loaded gun aimed at the bait that was
fastened TO string connected with the
trigger. Any other four-footed thief
would have received in his hide the
contents of the gun. But the wolver-
inc knew trick worth two of that"
His tracks in the snow afterwards
showed that he had examined the
bait without touching it, had then
gone around back of the gun and after
cutting the string in several places
had returned to the bait and carried it
off in triumph. He had fairly earned
it. and that trapper neve" molested
him again.
Another hunter finding the string
attached to the trigger Of his trap gun
cut by n wolverine, substituted a
small chain for the string. The ami
NAL, in attempting TO cut the chain,
fred off the gun and then carried off
the bait. Becoming reckless he after
wards discharged another traD-gun
and was slightly wounded. Enraged
by the smarting pain, he sprung upon
the gun with teeth and claws tore the
wooden stock almost to pieces and then
dragged the gun half a mile away.
A hunter had killed a wildcat, and,
being already loaded with as much as
he could carry, he buried the skin deep
in the snow and piled the hole over
with brush, leaving the carcass exposed
near by. When he returned the next
day he found the carcass gone, as he
had expected, but the pile of brush
looked exactly rs he had left it. Feel
ing certain that he would find the skin
he dug down and around for several
yards, but unsuccessfully. Seeing
tracks of wolverine about the spot he
followed them to little cave, where
he found the catskin intact.
II we compare with these the record
ed exploits Of other quadruped we
shall still find the wolverine ahead. A
dog has been known to wash from his
jaws the bloody evidence of IA sheep
killing raid TO spring on a porch, to
lift q window, TO enter and ensconce
himself costly by the fire with an air
OF artless innocence. Yet no dog has
ever been known TO close the window
behind him. If he had done so it
would have been no greater evidence
OF sagacity than the skill with which
wolverine fills up q pit after he has
robbed it and piles the brush above it
exactly as he found it. Reynard the
fox, with all his boosted cunning, has
never attained this perfection of wit.
The wolverine occasionally assumes
an attitude that has never been OBJ
served in the case of any other beast,
unless it be the gorilla or chimpanzee.
When wishing TO scan an object care
fully or to give n searching glance
around him, he rises to an almost erect
position and shields his eyes by plac-
ing one OF his paws above them.
Standing in this attitude he is almost
human in aspect. A detective camera
could scarcely be aimed at "A more
striking object. The bright sunlight,
especially when reflected from snow,
is doubtless trying to eyes that are
fitted to see by night almost as well as
by day.
The wolverine, or carcajou, as he is
called in the far north is classed with
the typical fur-bCaring animals, the
best known of which are the otter. the
badger, the sable, the ermine, the
skunk. the weasel and the mink. The
wolverine is one of the largest OF no
group, being excelled in size by The
otter only. He averages about tn1ty
inches from muzzle to root of tail,
which last member adds twelve inches
more to his length. He is low in
stature, standing not more than eight
or ten inches high. with long head
ant neck and 1.-THE body endowed
with surprising strength and agility.
The fur is soft and silky, the prevail
ing color blacklist brown. the feet and
head black, while band of reddish
brown runs along each side of the back
from the shoulders TO the tail.
The carcajou is found in northern
Maine. in the White Mountains of New
Hampshire, sometimes in the Adiron-