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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many fframes as required. The ffollowing diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s A des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ji . II ■pmnai^ai DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. F. V. HAYDEN, U. S. GEOLOGIST. VNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES, ..^-^^^r* * MISCELLANEOUS PTTBLICATIOTTS, No. 8. \0^ *A FUR-BEARING ANIMALS: A MONOGRAPH OF North American Mdstelidj;, IN WHICH AN ACCOUNT OP THE WOLVERENE, THE MARTENS OR SABLES, THE ERHINE, THE MINK AND VARIOUS OTHER KINDS OF WEASELS, SEVERAL SPECIES OF SKUNKS, THE BADGER, THE LAND AND SEA OTTERS, AND NUMEROUS EXOTIC ALLIES OF THESE ANIMALS, 18 CONTKinUTKD TO THB HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS. BY ELLIOTT COUES, CAPTAIN InD assistant SUUdEON UNITED STATES AKMT, SECRKTART ANU NATURALIST OF THB BUBVET. ILLUSTRATED WITH SIXTY FIGURES ON TWENTY PLATES. WASHINGTON: aOVBENMBNT PEINTINO OFFIOB. 1877. »■> i ^ > ' ite*' eoo o' O (1 1 id ' e * n rt ft * *" . t . 1 o * a p ' PREFATORY NOTH U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, Washington, B. C, July n, 1877. This treatise on Fur-bearing Animals of North America, pre- pared by Dr. Elliott Coues, Assistant Surgeon United States Army, at present on duty with the Survey, is published as a specimen fasciculus of a systematic History of North American Mammals, upon which the author has been long engaged. In the forthcoming work, which will be published by the Survey as soon as it can be prepared for the press, it is proposed to treat the Mammals of North America, living and extinct, in the same comprehensive and thorough manner in which the single family of the Mmtelidce has been elaborated. The form of the final work, however, will necessarily be modi- fied, in order to bring the whole matter within reasonable com- pass, as well as to adapt it more perfectly to the wants of the general public, which it is designed to meet. The technical and critical portions of the treatise will be condensed as far as may be deemed compatible with itsdistinctively scientific charac- ter, while the aspects of the subject which are of more general interest, such as the life-histories of the species and the eco- nomic or other practical relations which animals sustain toward man, will be presented in ample detail. Other considerations have also had weight with me in de- ciding to publish this Monograph of the Mustelida in advance of the general "History", and as a separate volume. This family of Mammals is one of special interest and importance, from an economic point of view, as all the species furnish valua- ble peltries, some of which, like Sable, Ermine, and Otter, are in great demand ; while their pursuit is an extensive and im- portant branch of our national industries. It is believed that the Monograph satisfactorily reflects the present state of our knowledge of these animals, and forma III 5GT% mmm IV NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. a desirable contribution to the literature of the general subject. The Mustelid(v, like most other families of North American Mammals, have not been systematically revised for many years,, daring which much new material, hitherto unused, has become available for the purposes of science; while the steady and rapid progress of scientific inquiry has rendered it necessary t» reopen and discuss many questions in a new light. The same principles and methods of study which the author has suc- cessfully applied to the elucidation of the Rodentia of North America have been brought to bear upon the investigation of the Miiatelidiv. The Memoir is based upon specimens secured by the Survey under my direction, together with all the material contained in the National Museum, for the opportunity of examining which the Survey acknowledges, in this as in other instances, its indebtedness to the Smithsonian Institution. The illustrations of the present volume, with few exceptions,* were engraved by Mr. H. H. Nichols, of Washington, from pho- tographs on wood made under Dr. Coues's direction by Mr. T. W. Smillie, of Washington. This method of natural history illus- tration may still be regarded in the light of an experiment ; but the cuts may be considered fine specimens of the engraver's^ art, when it is remembered that photography gives no lines, to be followed by the graver. Though showing less detail^ particularly of the under surfaces of the skulls, than might have been secured by hand-drawing, the cuts possess the merit of absolute accuracy of contour. This opportunity is taken to reprint, by permission, a Gironlar ' relating to the proposed " History ", which was addressed by Dr. Coues to the Medical Staff of the Army, of which he is a member. The Circular is sufficiently explicit to require no com- ment ; but I may here express my high appreciation of the courtesy with which the wishes of the Survey have been met by the Surgeon General of the Army. F. V. HAYDEN, United States Qeologiat. * The several figures on the electrotype plate VI were kindly loaned by Mr^ £. A. Samnele, of Boston, from the Massachusetts Agrioalturol Report for 1861. The figures on plate XII were drawn on wood by Mr. S. W. Keen, of Waelw ingtoD, from photographs furnished by Mr. H. W. Parker, of the Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass. ' [Reprinted.] WAR DEPARTMENT, SURGEON GENBKAL'S OFFICE, Washington, March 31, 1877. CIRCULAR ORDERS, ) No. 1. S The attention of the Medical Officers of the Army is partioa* larly invited to the following communication addressed to them by Assistant Surgeon Elliott Ooues, U. S. Army. It is hoped that their assistance and co-operation will be cheerfully given for the reasons stated and in the manner indi> cated by Dr. CouES. Bt order of the Surgeon General: C. H. CRANE, Assistant Surgeon General^ U. 8. Army, Office ok U. S. Geoix)Oical and Geookaphical Survey, Waahington, D. C, Maroh 13, 1&77. To THE Medical Officers of the Army : Medical Officers of the Army, and others who may be interested in the matter, are respectfally and earnestly invited to cooperate with the under- 8i);ned in the preparation of a worl; entitled "History of North American Mam- malt," to be published by the Government. It is now twenty years since the last general work apon the Qaadrnpeds of this country appeared. The progress of our knowledge during this period renders the demand for a new treatise imperative. It is proposed to make the forthcoming "History" a standard scientific treatise, covering the whole ground, and fully exhibiting the present state of our knowledge of the sub- ject. The plan of the work may be briefly indicated ; its scope includes^ 1. The Classification of North American Mammals according to the latest and most approved views of leading therologists, including diagnoses of the orders, families, genera and species. H. The most acceptable Nomenclature of each species and variety, with ex- tensive Synonymy. 3. The elaborate technical Description of each species and variety, including much anatomical detail, especially respecting the skull and teeth. • 4. The Geographical Distribution of the species — an important matter, con- cerning which much remains to be learned. 5. The "Life-histories" of the species, or an account, as full and complete as it can be made, of their habits. This is also a matter reqniriug niucti further study. 6. The Bibliography of the subject. V ■ VI NORTH AMERICAN MU8TELID.E. While tbu strictly aciuntilic cbarncter of the work will bo iiiiiintained, tho " life-historieH," being of general interest, will be divested us fur as pussiblo of tecbuicalitit-H, and treated with u free bund, in popular style. The author has long been engaged in gathering material for this work, already fur ad~ vaucetl, and hopes to publish at no distant day. His resources and facilitieH for the preparation of the defcriptive and other technical portions of tho treatite have been ample ; but he has still, in common with other naturalists, much to learn respecting the Geographical Distribution and Habits of North American Mammals. To these points, therefore, special attention is invited, with the expectation that much important and valuable information may be secured with the assistance of Medical and other Orticers of tho Army, many of whom enjoy unusual facilities for ac(iuiring a knowledge of this subject, and whose individual experiences, in many casen, represent a fund of information not yet on sciontitic record, but which, it is hoped, may now be made fully available. The Geographical Distribution of animals can be thoroughly worked out only by means of observations made at very many different places. To thi* end it is desirable that lists should be prepared of the various species fount! in any given locality, noting their relative abundance or scarcity, times of appearance and disappearance, nature of their customary resorts, and other pertinent particulars. A sutlioient number of such reports, from various stations, would greatly increase our knowledge, and render it more precise.. It is believed that the " History of the Post," as already prepared by Medi- cal Otiicers, usually includes information of this kind, which, by the permia~ sion of the Surgeon General, is made available for the present purpose. As a rule, the habits of largvr "game" animals, such as are ordinarily ob- jects of the chase for pleasure or protit, and of all those which sustain obvion* economic relations with man, as furnishing food or furs, or as committing depredations upon crops or live stock, are the best known ; yet there ia nino'ii to be learned even respecting these. The habits of many of the imatler, insigniticaut or obscure species are almost entirely unknown. Full and ac- curate information respecting tho habits of the numerous species of Plares, Squirrels, Shrews, Moles, Mice, Rats, Bats, Weasels, Gophers, &e., is par- ticularly desired. The Bats offer a peculiarly inviting and little explored field of research. Among points to which attention may be directed, in any case, are the following : Date and duration of the rut. -Period of gestation. — Usual time of repro- duction. — Number of yonng produced. — Duration of lactation. — Care of thei young, by one or both parents. — State of monogamy or polygamy. — Time* of disappearance and re-appearance of such animals as are migratory, and of such as hybernate. — Completeness or interruption of torpidity. — Time* of changing pelage, of acquiring, shedding and renewing horns. — Habit* connected with theae processes. — Habits peculiar to the breeding and rut- ting seasons. — Construction of nests, burrows, or other artiiicial retreats. — Natural resorts at different seiisons. — Nature of food at various seasons ; mode of procnriug it; laying-up of supplies; <|uantity required. — VariouA cries, of what indicative.— Natural means of offense and defense, and how employed. — General disposition, traits, characteristics. — Methods of captur- ing or destroying, of taming or domesticating. — Economic relations witU (/ :i CIRCULAR. tn man ; how injiiriotiM or beneficial, to what extent, used for what pnrposoH, yielding what products of value. Other pointa will doubtless suggest theiiiHolveH to the observer. Anatom- ical noteH of careful «liHHOCtionN of soft parts, particularly of the difjestivo and reproductive organs, are valuable. Anecdotal records of personal ex- periences possess at least the interest which attaches to originality, and are very acceptable. Persous are frequently deterred from commuoicating their observations for fear that what they have to otf^r may not be wanted. This is generally a mistake. In the tirst place, duplication of data serves the important purpohe of corroborating and coiitirmiiig the accuracy of reports furnished, and in all cases of seasonal phenomena, which of course vary with latitude, the same observations may be prolitably repeated at different stations. Secondly, persons wlio write books are generally supposed to know more than they really do. Specimens of common and well-known animals, especially if bulky, are of course less desirable than those of rare and obscure species ; but speci- mens of any species securer! beyond the ordinary geographical range, or illustrating unusual conditions, such as albiuism, melanism, or malforma- tions, or representing euibryonio stages of growth, are always in demand. Small dry parcels may be conveniently mailed direct to the undersigned; large packages should be sent in accordance with Circular Orders, No. 2, War Department, Surgeon General's.OfHce, April 13, 1875, (copy herewith [*]), or by express, if the Quartermivster's I Jepartmont cannot furnish trauspor- 11 WA.i4 DKIPARTMICNT', Surgeon General's Office, ' H'lishiiigton, Jpril l,\, 1875. CIRCULAR ORDERS, No. 2. The following General Order from the Adjutant (jroneral's OHice is pub- lished for the information of Medical Otlicers : (JrENEKAL OKDEHH 1 No. -19. ) WAR DEPAUTMENT, Adjucant Gknbkai.'k OKncK. Wanhingtvn, April 6, IfiT.I. The Quarteriuaiitur'8 Departiuent is iiiithoriKed to traii!iport to the Medical Musiniin at Wasliinjit'jn such objects as may bo turned over to its otticers for that iiurpuse at any military post or station by the otticers of the Medical Department. By 0K1>EK OF THE SECKETAHY Ol' WaII : E. D. TOWNSEXP, Adjutant Qeiural. Medical Officers in turning over package.s to the Quartermaster's Depart- ment for transportation will take receipts in duplicate, and will forward one of the receipts to the Surgeon General. All packages for the Museum should be plainly marked "Surgeon General, U. S. A., Washington, D. C," with "Army Medical Museum" inscribed in the lower left hand corner. By okder ok the Sukgeon Geneimi. : C. H. CRANE, AHuhlant Surgeon (Jenerttl U. H, Army. VIII NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^t:. tation. SpeoimenB, after examinatioa by the ODdenigued for the parpoae* of the work in hand, will be depoaited, ia the name of the donor, in the Amy Medical Mnaenm, or in the National Masanm. Printed instraotions for collecting and preeerving specimens will be fnr< nlahed on application to the Smithsonian Institution. Medical Of cers reeeiviag this Circular are requested to bring it to the notice of others who may be interested in the matter, and are cordially invited to open corre- •pondence with the writer upon the subject. It is proper to add, that, for all information or specimens furnished, full oredit will be given in every instance, both in the text of the treatise in which such material is utilized, and in the records and publications of the Moaeum in which it is finally deposited; and that the author will regard cooperation in this work as a personal favor, to be fully appreciated and gratefully acknowledged. ELLIOTT C0UE8, Aatktant Surgton, U. S. Army. SUMMARY OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Family MUSTELIDiE. Oeneral oonsiderationn— Systematic position and relations of the Mtu- a«urenients— Note on the skull and teeth — Description of external oharactorH — Conditions of the change of color — General history and habits of the species — Its distribution In tho Old World — PutoriuH huijivuuda, the Long-tailed Weasel — Synonymy — Habitat — Specific characters — Description — Measure- ments — General account of the species — I'litorins hraHiliensia fre- na1u», the Hi idled Weasel — Synonymy — Habitat — Specillc oharuc- tera — General account of tho species 97 ^ CHAPTEU V. MUSTELIN.E— Continued: The American Ferret. The subgenus Vifnomyonar, — Snbgeneric charack«irs — Putoriua ( C'»/m«>»m,V(>- nax) nigripvn, the American or lilack-lboted Ferret — Synonymy — Specific characters — Habitat — General account of the species — Ad- i>KNi>UM: On the species of the subgenus I'uloriuH — /'. /wliUiii^, the Polecat or Fitch — Synonyjny — Uesciiption — I'. J'atidtiH vur. fnro, the Ferret — Synonymy — Remarks — Ferrot breeding and handling — I'.J'dtitliix var. (Vroperties of the secretion — (feograt)hical distribution antl haitits of the Sknnk— History of tho species — Ai»I)I';ni>1!M : On hydn>pho- bia from Skunk-bite, the so-callud " r;ibioH mephitica " 1H7 . CHAPTKR VIII. ^rKPIHTIN.E— Continued: Skunks. ■ The genus .l/»7>/ii/i>, continued — Mnphilix macrura, t\w T^ong-tailed Mex- ican Skunk — Synonyiiiy — Habitat — Specific characters — Descrip- tion — Tlu^ subgenus Spiloiialt!— Mvphitin {S,i>K..Ni>rM : Description of the perinieal glandti of the European liadger, .Vrks vulijaiia 2C1 ! XII ^ NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELIDiG. CHAPTER X. Subfamily LUTEINS : The Otters. General considerations — The genas Lutra — Generic characters and remarks— The North American Otter, Lutra canadens'u—Syaon- ymy — Habitat — Specific characters— Description of external char- acters—Description of the skull and teeth— Variation in the skull— History of the species — Geographical distribution— Habits of Otters — Extinct species of North American Otter 293 CHAPTER XI. Subfamily ENHYDRIN^: Sea Otter. General considerations- The genas EnhydrU — Generic oharaotera — Enhydria lutria, the Sea Otter — Synonymy — Habitat — Specific characters — Description of external characters— Description of the skull and teeth — History of the species — " The Sea Otter and its hunting"— The habits of the Sea Otter 325 !i' I,. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE I.— GUU) LTJ8CU8. Skull from above, below, and in profile. {Reduced.) II. — MUSTKLA PENNANT!. Skull from above, below, and in proBle. {Xatuml site.) III.— MUSTELA MARTR8. Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Xatural size.) IV.— MUSTRLA POINA. Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Nalaral size.) v.— MuSTELA AMERICANA. Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Xatuml aixe.) VI.— PUTORIUS ERMINEA and P. VUX.GARI8. Figs. 1, 3, .<>, 6, P. erminm, heads and tails. Figs. 2, 4, P. vul- garis, head and tail. (Natural size.) VII.— PUTORIUS NIORIPBS. Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Xatural size. ) VIII.— PUTORIUS F(KTIDU8. Skull from above, below, and in profile, (yatiiral size.) IX.— PUTORIUS VI80N. Skull from above, below, and in profile, (yatural size.) X.— Mephitis mephitica. Skull of ordinary characters from above, below, and in pro- file. (Natural size.) XI.-Mephitis mephitica. Skull oflarge size from above, below, and in profile. (Natu- ral size.) XII. —Mephitis (Spilogale) putorius. Two skins, to show the peculiar markings. (Muvh reduced.) XIII.— Mephitis (Spii-ogale) putorius. Large old skull from above, below, and in profile. (Natural size.) XIII ^■e ilM i - XIV NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. li! PLATE XIV.— Mkphitis (Simlocjale) i'utohhts. Small young sktfll from above, below, and ia prjfi'e. (Nat- ural size.) XV. — CONKl'ATUS MAl'UIUTO. Skull from above, below, aad ia profile. {Natttral size.) XVI.— Taxidka amkricana. SkuU from above, below, and in protile. (Reduced.) XVII. — LiTRA CANAI>KX!SIS. . • Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Natural nise.} XVIII. — Ll TRA VULGARIS. Skull from above, below, and in profile. (Salural size.) XIX.— EnIIVDRIS LUTRI8. Skull from above and below. (Reduced.) XX,— Enhydris i.utris. Skull in profile. (Reduced.) Palate and t:etb. (Natural sue.) J. (Nat- zc.) re.) re.) ralaize.) .H-ji-ui.j..ij ^!0»«apwwi mmmm n I w HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELIDJl. CnAPTEE I. The Family MUSTELID^. General considerations — Systematic position and relations of tho Mustelidce — Division into subfamilies — Sclieduleof tho North American genera — Their ditf«n'ential characters — Diagnoses of the North W^mcrican subfamilies — Tlio anal glauds of MnstcVnw — The fossil North American species of MustdhHv — Derivation and signilication of names applied to MtiateUda. TniS is a large, iuiportaut, and well-defiued family of Car- nivorous Mammals, embracing the Weasels aud Martens, as its typical representatives, tbe Skunks, Badgers, Otters, and a few other less familiar animals. Representatives of the family exist in most portions of the globe, excepting the Australiim region, home of tho Marsupials and Monotremes. The group reaches its highest development in the JiTortheru Hemisphere, or Arctogaja, where both the gen- era and the species are most numerous and diversified. Some twenty genera are recognized by modern authors; of these, the genus Putorius, including the true Weasels, has the most extensive geographical distribution in both hemispheres, and contains by far the largest number of species. In one sense, it is to be considered as the typical genus of the family. Many of the other genera consist of but a single species, and some of them are the sole representatives, of the subfamilies to which they respectively belong. The economic importance of the family may be estimated from the very high commercial value which fashion has set IM 1 2 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. f i ' ! i M upon the fur of several of the species, such as the Erinitie, Sable, Nutria, and Sea Otter ; and various other pelts, ouly less valu- able than these, are furnished by lueinbors of this fon^ily. These animals sustain other relations toward man, by no means to be overlooked. The serious obstacles whicii the Wolverene offers to the pursuit of the more valuable fur-bearing animals of British America is set forth in following pages; while the destructiveness of such species as the Mink and various kinds of Weasels is well known to the poulterer. The Skunks are infamous for the quality, familiar to every one, which places them among the most offensive and revolting of animals ; they are, moreover, capable of causing one of the most dreadful dis- eases to which the human race is exposed. The cruel sport which Badgers have afforded from time immemorial has given a verb to the English language; while the legitimate pursuit of various MusteUAw is an important and wide-spread branch of human industry.* The scientitic interest with which the zoologist, as simply such, may regard this family of animals yields to those practical considerations of e very-day life which render the history of the Mustelklw so important. The definition of the family is strict. The zoological char- acters by which it is distinguished from other Carnivorous Mam- mals are well marked; and few if any naturalists of repute differ in their views respecting the limitation of the group. The systematic position of the family in the Carnivorous series seems to be alsj settled by very general consent. Singular as it may seem, when, without considering intermediate forms, we com- pare for instance the diminutive, slender-bodied, and nimible Weasels with the great, heavy-bodied, and comparatively sloth- ful Bears, the closest aflBnities of the Musteline series are with the Ursine; the next nearest are with the Canine; and the family Mustclidcv may properly stand between the Canidcv on * During the century, 1769-18G8, the Hudsou'B Bay Company sold at auc- tion in Loudon, besides many milUon other pelts, the following of Mustelidw : — 1,240,511 sables, 074,027 otters, 68,694 wolverenes, 1,507,240 minks, 218,653 skunks, 275,302 badgers, 5,349 sea otters. In 1868 alone, the company sold (among many thousand others) 106,354 sables, 73,473 miuks, 14,966 otters, 6,298 skunks, 1,104 wolverenes, 1,551 badgers, 123 sea otters ; besides which there were also sold in Loudon, in the autumu of the same year, about 4,500 sables, 22,000 otters, &,e. Auother company, the Canadian, sold in London, during the years 1763 to 1839, the following: 2,931,383 sables, 29,110 wolver- enes, 895,832 otters, 1,080,780 minks. — (Drostk-HOlsiioff, Der Zoologhche Garten, 1869, p. 317.) POSITION AND RELATIONSHIPS OF MUSTELID.E. 3 the oue band and the Urshhc oa the other. In order to give a clear idea of the poaition and relationships of the Mustelkhc, the following characters* of the higher groups of Mammals under which the family comes are given : — Maininals having a brain with tho corohral hoinisithores oonuectoil by a more or less weU-developed corpua callosiim and a reduced anterior coimniasiire. Vnjrina a single tube, bu*; sonietinios with a partial septum. Young retained within the womb till of considerable size and nearly perfect development, and deriv- ing its nourishment from tho mother through tho intervention of a " placenta" (developed from tho allantois) till birth. Scro- tum never in front of penis. . . (Subclass) Iflonodelpllia* Brain with a relatively largo cerebrum, behind overlapping much or all of the cerebellum, and in front much or all of the olfactory lobes; corpus callosum (attypically) continued horizontally backwards to or beyond tho vertical of the hippocampal suture, developing in front a well-defined recurved rostrum. (Super-order) EDUCABILIA. Posterior members and pelvis well developed (in antithesis with tho Cetaceans and Sirenians). Proximal segments of both fore and hind limbs (upper arm and thigh) more or less enclosed in tl.o general integument of the trunk (in antithesis with tho order Primates). Clavicles rudimentary or wanting. Scaphoid and lunar bones of the wrist consolidated iuto one (scapho- lunar) carpal. Digits clawed (not hoofed). Teeth of three I kinds, all enamelled; incisors ^][i| (exceptionally fewer); ca- nines specialized and robust ; one or more molars in each jaw usTially sectorial. Brain without calcarine sulcus. Placenta deciduato, zonary. (;=The Caruivora or "beasts of prey" of ordinary language.) (Order) Fkr^. Body elevated and adapted for progression on laud by approximately equal development, freedom, and mobility of foro and hind limbs. Tail free from common integument of body. Ears well developed. Functional digits terminating in claws. Digits of neither fore nor hind feet webbed to tho ends (ex- cepting the hind feet of Enhydra) ; inner digits of fore feet nob produced beyond the rest ; inner digits of hind feet seldom thus produced, but often reduced or atrophied. (All these ex- pressions in antithesis to the rinnipedia, or suborder of the Seals.) (Suborder) FissiPEDiA. * For which I am principally indebted to Dr. Theo. Gill. (Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. | — 230 — | Arrangement | of the | Families of Mammals. | With analytical tables. | Prepared for the Smithsonian Institu- tion. I By Theodore Gill, M. D., Ph. D. | [Seal.] | Washington : | Published by tho Smithsonian Institution. | November, 1872. | [8vo. pp. i-vi, 1-98.]) •^ mtoHm mm % NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. : Skull with the paroccipital process not closely appliud to the audi- tory bulla; the mastoid process promiueut and projeotiug out- wards or dowuwards behind the external auditory meatus; ex- ternal auditory meatus diversiform. Intestinal canal with no Ciecuni. Prostate gland not salient, being coutaiiied in the thickened walls of the urethra. Skull with the carotid canal distinct, and more or less in advance of the foramen lacerum posticum ; condyloid foramen alone distinct from the foramen lacerum posticum; glenoid foramen generally well defined. Os penis very large. Cowpor's glands not developed. (Super-family) Akctoidea. True molars of upper jaw one (M- ^ : rarely— in MelUvorino!—^); last premolar of upper jaw sectorial (rarely — in Enhydrince — with blunt tubercles) (Family) Muatelidw. DIVISION OF THE MUSTELIDiE INTO SUBFAMILIES. Having thus, by a process of gradual elimioation of the char- acters of other groups, reached a family, Mustelidce^ we may proceed to inquire of what subdivisions the family itself is susceptible. Authors — 3veu throwing the older writers out of consideration — differ greatly in their methods of reckoning the subfamilies and genera, the number of subfamilies recognized varying from three or four to eight. According to my present understanding of the subject, derived from my knowledge of American forms, I am inclined to consider that, if any sub- family divisions are to be adopted, regard for equivalency, or the just coordination of the characters involved, requires a larger number of subfamilies than have usually been recog- nized — very possibly the full number, eight, admitted by Dr. Gill. The excellent analysis of the family given by this writer (see p. 3, note) is herewith presented : — XVI.— MUSTELID.E. Sub-families. I. Skull with the cerebral portion comparatively compressed backwards ; and with the rostral portion comparatively produced, attenuated, and transversely convex above ; anteorbital foramen small and opening forwards. Feet with little developed or no interdigital membrane [and the species, with few exceptions, not aquatic]. A. Auditory bulla much inflated, undivided, bulging, and convex forwards ; periotic region extending little outwards or backwards. Palate moderately emarginated. ANALYSIS OF SUBFAMILIES OF MUSTELIDiE. 6 ICTOIDEA. 1. Last molnr of upper jaw (M \) transverse, (with the inner letljje in- tlatcd at its inuor angh) ;) sectorial tooth with a single inner cnsp. n. M ^ ; fi rst trno niolnr (sectorial) of lower jaw foUowed by a second (tubercular) one. Toes short, regularly arched, and with the last phalanges bent up, withdrawing the claws into sheaths. (Gray.) [Martens and Weasels.] Mustelin.k. h. M J ; first true molar (sectorial) of lower jaw only developed. Toes straight, with the last phalanges and claws extended ; the latter non-retractile. (^rayO [Extra-limital.] .... Meixivouina:. 2. Last molar of upper jaw (M 1) enlarged and more or less extended longitudinally. — M-^-. Toes straight, with the last phalanges and cliiws extended; the latter non-retractile. (Gray.) [Badgers.] Memx;»:. B. Auditory bulla elongated and extending backwards close to the par- occipital process. (Flower.) I'alate moderately cmargiuated. I. Last molar of upper jaw (M ] ) transverse; (with the inner ledge nar- rowed inwards): sectorial tooth with two inner cusps. [Extra-lim- ital.] IIeuctidin-k. C . Auditory bulla inllatod, undivided, with the anterior inferior extremity pointed and commonly united to the prolonged hamular process of the pterygoid. (Flower.) Palato moderately emarginated. 1. Last molar of upper jaw (M \) transverse ; (with the inner ledge com- pressed.) [Extra-limital.] Zohillin.k. D. Auditory bulla little inflated, transversely constricted behind the meatus auditorins extornua and thence inwards ; in front flattened forwards; periotic region expanded outwards and backwards. Pal- ate deeply emarginated. 1. Last molar of upper jaw (M ?) quadrangular, wide, but with an ex- tended outer incisorial ledge. [Skunks.] .... Mephitinje. II. Skull with the cerebral portion swollen backwards and outwards; and with tho rostral portion abbreviated, high and truncated for- wards, and widened and depressed above; anteorbital foramen enlarged and produced downwards and backwards. Feet with well-developed interdigital membrane, and adapted for swimming. [The species highly aquatic, one of them marine.] A. Teeth normal, 36 (M ^, PM ^, C |, I -| X 2) : sectorial tooth (PM 4) normal, efficient, with an expanded inner ledge; the other molars submusteline. Posterior feet with normally long digits. [Otters.] Ll-'TKIJI^. B. Teeth very aberrant, 32 (M ^, PM g-, C j, 1 1 — the lower inner incisors being lost — X 2) : sectorial tooth (PM f ) defunctionalized as such, compressed from before backwards; the other molars also with blunted cusps. Posterior feet with elongated digits. [Sea Otter.] .; ■ ^... - ,■■. Enhydrinje. Of the foregoing eight subfamilies, three, namely, the Melli- vorince, HelictidinfVf and Zorilliiuc, each of which consists of a single genus, are confined to the Old World. No one of the subfamilies is peculiar to North America ; but the MephitinWy 6 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTEIJU.!:. or Skunks, are not found in the Old WorM, where they are represented by the African ZorilHiia'; they occur in South as well as North America. The MeJinw, or Badgers, are common to North and Middle America and the Eastern Hemisphere, but do not occur in South America. Tlie Sea Otter, sole repre- sentative of the Enhydrincv, inhabits both coasts of the North Pacific. The LxUrinw^ or ordinary Otters, are of general dis- tribution in both hemispheres. The MnstcUna\ or true Weasels, Martens, &c., are of very general distribution, as already indi- cated; such is especially the case with the typical genus Pato- tills. The genera Mustela and Oulo chiefly inhabit the higher latitudes; Galictis is peculiar to South America. The North American forms of the family down to the genera are exhibited in the following synoptical table ; — Subclasa MonodclpUia, Super-order EducahiUa. Order Ferw, Suborder Fissipedia, Suj)er-family Arctoidea, « Family Mustelidw. Subfamily Mustdince. Geuera Gulo. (The Wolvoroue.) Mustela. (The Martens.) Putoritia. Subfamily Mephitinai. Genera Mephitis. Sjniogale. Conejmlus, Subfamily Melina: (The liadgers.) Genus Taxidea. Subfamily Lutrina. (The Otters.) Genus Lutra. Subfamily £n%driw«!. (The Sea Otter.) • ' Genus Enhydra. (The Weasels.) (The Skunks.) ANALYSIS OF GENKKA OF MUSTELID;!-: SCnEDITLE or DIFFERENTIAL CHARACTERS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN GENERA. VariouH characters hij which the siih/amlliefi anil genera are differentiated are ex- hibited in the foUnwing Hv)iednle:— MuHtolldiD. Duntal fdrnnila: I. 3-3 3-3' I..1 3-3 3-3' I..; 8-3 3-3' C. C. C. Pin. M. I;; 3-3 3-3- 3-3 •8-2' 1-1 i-i- 1-1 l-i' 1-1 1-1' 1-1 8-a- 18 *"■ l-l 1-1' l-l l-l- 4-4 4-4' 3-3 3-3- M. Pm. rrT„ M, Pm. 14 ,=34. c. :- C. T Pm. M. M. zr, 1-1 3-3= 1-1 a-3- 1^8 16 ic' 36. 3S. i-i_ia_ 1-116 3-2-18 •normally j^, som. times ^i 16 j^=32oi 34 , Pm. 3:33. 3-3 3-3' PM. and M. normnl— angular, trenchnnt< or acute abuorinni— roiindetl, blunt, tuberculoun , liaok upper M. qiiadrati', tranaverae, niucli wider than long about as wide aalong trianKuInr, tho liypotbenuso poRtero-extt^rior irri'giilnrl.voval;'all corners rounded off... Back upper Pm. strictly sectorial, linear, with small anterior interior cnsp I triangular, o'winj; tosize of the in- ner ledge. reaenibling the back upper M Upper Pm. 4-4, the anterior one comparativoiy well developed * minute, crowded out of line 3-3, tho anterior one comparatively well develoixjd or 3-2; whou 3-3, the anterior very minute , Lower 1. 3-3, the usual carnivorous formula 2-3, the inner pair lacking Lower sectorial without obvious inner tubercle of middle lobe with slight but evident inner tubercle with str(»ngly developed inner tubercle nostrum of skull so short that root of zygcmia is nearly or quite op- posite fore end of nasal bones moderately produced : root of zygoma more nearly . opposite hind end of nasals Brain-case comparatively compressed backward, little broader be- hind than before, with straightish or little convex lateral outline widened backward, with quite straight lateral outlines., much widi'iied backwards and swollen outward, with very convex lateral outlines Frontal region very short, broad, flat on top longtlieued, narrowed, very convex transversely Bony palate ending o)>po8ite back upper molars produced back of the molars, but not Lalf-way to end of pterygoids produced far back ot the molars— half-way or more ♦" ends of pterygoids Postorbital processes moderate, slight or obsolete strong, transverse, acute Anteorbital foramen bounded above by slender maxillary process, large, subtriangular, or oval, presenting downward-forward a .a S I I 8 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. Schedule of diffetrntial eh(tr((ctcra of the .Voc/Zi .tmcncaii grnera — CoutiuiUHl. Aliiatttliilin. 9 im i S Antporliitiil foi'iiincii botiniloil by 8totit procoHs, pn>si>iit.iiij» nioro or loBH vtM'ticdUy Aporturoof iniros in two pliiiioH, iipproiichinntlio vortical ttutlliori- zoiitnl ono pliiiio, or Hourly so, moro or loss obliquo. . . Auditory biillm at iimxiniiini of iiitlatiiiii, with sliortost niul loiist tubular uioiitus iiiuoli iiitlikloti, with inoilurntu coustrictiou into tbo tubulnr nu^ittus littlo iiittatod, n)U(^b oonstriclod across tho moiitiis Mastoids littlo tlovolopod, outwartl or l)aukward nioro dovolo|iod, outward luucli dovelopod, downward I*orlotic ro^ion ouiitractud, brin^iuK parocoipitala oloso to auditory bulliu '.. oxpandotl, ronioviun paroucipltals from biillii>, and horizontal oxpandod, ronntving paroucipltals from bullio, .-ory oldiiino Qlonoid fossae shallow, open, without antorior lotlgo, nrosontiiiK nioro forwnrtl than ilownward, novor locking oouirylos. .. motloratoly dt>op and closo, with antorior lod^o pro- sontiug downward-furwai'd, never locking con- dy li>8 very doop and closo, with stront; anterior and pos- terior ledftes, sometbnes locking condyles Coronoid proooss of ,jaw in protllo conical, erect, apex forward of condylo obtusely falcate, sloning, apex uverlianKUiK condyle Lower border of jaw stralKhtisb from symphysis to posterior rtngle usually aaeeudiii); posteriorly, in straiKbt or concave lino Toes scarcely or not webbed, with ordinary ratio of louKths fully webbed, with onlinary ratio of lengths those of tlio liind feet elonKatod, with extraordi- nary ratio of lengtlis Fore claws lone, stout, littlo curved, biKbly fossorlal nioderato or short, curved and acute, not fossorial Body very stout; si/.o very largo; tail bushy, short i appearance s(uuewhat t>oar' like rather slender or extremely so ; size medium and email ; tall long, tereto stout i size medium and small ; tail long, very bushy stout, much dopressed; sizo medium ; tail short, distichous... stout, cylindrical ; sizo large ; tail long, conical, closo-liaircd. . Habits ohieHy terrestrial terrestrial and highly arboreal strictly torrestriar and more or less fossorial aquatic (tluviatile, lacustrine, or maritime) aiiuatio (marine) i !* " - Is i ■ill. I ' r. ,^ 3 X X Such a table a8 this might be indefinitely continued, but the foregoing analysis of leading ditForontial characters sufllces for present purposes. \: DIAGNOSES OF NORTH AMERICAN SUBFAMILIES. 9 Wo may iiiuilly sum uiul amplify the (litioreiitial characters of tlio forogoing tablu, with others, in tlie foUowing expressions, tUagnostie of the live subfamilies here adopted : — DIAGNOSES OF TUE FIVE NOUTII AMERICAN SUIIFAMILIES. 1. ^lusTELiN.!']. — Teeth of ordinary Carnivorous pattern, 3S or 34 in number, accordiuy; to varying number of premolars, whether *^^ (Qulo, Mustcla) or y^;j(ZV/or/««); the number unequal in the two Jaws, !,^or J-|J; incisors constantly f^) canines Y.\, iisiu all ^r"stclid(v; and molars *'', as in all Mustelidw excepting Mel- liroiina: Molar of upper jaw much \\iderthan long; its long axis transverse to the axis of the dental scries, longitudinally constricted across the middle. Posterior upper i>reniolar (the large "sectorial" tooth) narrow and linear, with a small dis- tinct spur projecting inward from its antorointerior corner, liostral partof skull moderately produced, sloping in profile, very obliquely truncated, transversely convex, the hind endsof the na- sals more nearly opposite the roots of the zygoma than their fore ends are.* Cerebral portion of skull comparatively compressed backward, little broader behind than before, with moderately convex lateral outlines. Postorbital processes moderately developed. Anteorbital foramen small, oval or subcircular, presenting upward forward {Gulo) or more or less downward forward {Mustcla, Putorius). Posterior uares thrown into one common conduit by absence of bony septum. Bony palate pro- duced far back of molars, — half-way (more or less) to ends of pterygoids; interpterygoid space longer than wide. Audi- tory bullic much intlated, with moderate constriction of the tubular meatus.t Little or no expansion of periotic region behind the buUiB, with which the paroccipitals appear in contact. jNCastoids little developed, presenting outward or backward. Glenoid fossie shallow, the anterior ledge slight ; condyles never locked. Coronoid proces:: of mandible erect, conical in profile, the posterior outline with forward upward obliquity {MusteUij rutoriusy — more nearly vertical in Oulo), the apox in advance of the condyle. Feet with ordinary development and ratio of * It iH curious to obnurvo that an a<]|uatio Hpocios of I'tttoriua (/'. t'i'Mon,tho Mink) tonils to approach the aquatic Ottorn {Liitrinw aud Unhydrinw) lu tho rehitivo ahortiioas of rostriiii, iti loss obliquo trunuation, tlatnooaoa top, t&.o, tllcro agaiu tho aiiuatic Pitloriun riaon approacheu tho other aquutiu Hpeciu8 of (litVorutit subfainilioH iu tho uouiparativu IliitiicHa of the buHie. 1 «; I , ?■ 10 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^E. li iii HI. digits ; digits incompletely oi' not webbed. External appear- ance and habits variable, according to the genera and species, none strictly fossorial ; progression digitigrade and subplanti- grade ; size from nearly the maximnm to the minimum in the family ; body never much depressed, nor tail conical or distich- ous. Periiueal glands moderately developed. No peculiar sub- caudal pouch. Nature highly predacious. 2. MEPHiTiNiG. — Teeth of ordinary Carnivorous patteru, 34 or 32 in number, according to varying number of premolars, whether ^ {McpMiis and Sjnlof/ale) or indifferently ^ or — {Conepattts); the number unequal in the two jaws, ]" or ~. In- cisors, canines, and molars as in the last subfamily. Molar of upper jaw quadrate, about as wide as long (varying in detail with the genera). Posterior upper premolar with a large inner shelf, giving a triangular shape to the tooth. Kostral part of skull moderately produced, and otherwise much as in the last (aperture of nares very oblique in Conepatus); cerebral portion as in Miistelinic. Postorbital processes slight or obsolete. An- teorbital foramen very small, circular, sometimes subdivided into two or more canals. Posterior nares completely separated by a bony septum reaching to the end of the bony palate. Bony palate ending opposite last molars {Mepliitis, Spilogale) or a little back of them, but not half-way to ends of pterygoids, (Conepatus). Auditory bullae little inflated, with much constric- tion of the tubular meatus. Mastoids well developed, outward. Periotic region flattened and expansive behind the bullae, the surface nearly horizontal, the paroccipitals remote from the bullre. Glenoid shallow, presenting much forward as well as downward, without anterior wall, never locking condyle. Coro- noid process of jaw conical in profile, erect, wholly in advance of condyle (except in Conepatus, which, in this respect, singularly resembles Enliydra). Feet with ordinary development and ratio of digits; digits not webbed. Form stout; tail very bushy; pelage long; colors black and white. Habits strictly terrestrial, more or less fossorial; progression plantigrade; movements slow. Size moderate and small. No peculiar subcaudal pouch. Perinseal glands extraordinarily developed, affording a means of offence and defence. 3. Melin-^.* — Teeth of ordinary Carnivorous pattern, 34 in * The charactors here given are drawn entirely from the American genus Taxidea, and will require modilication in order to their applicability to the subfamily at large. •11 M DIAGNOSES OF NORTH AMERICAN SUBFAMILIES. 11 number (in the North American genus); Pm. gj ; the number unequal in the two jaws, J|; incisors, canines, and mohars as in the last. Molar of upper jaw triangular, the long side postero- exterior. Posterior upper premolar substai'tially as in Mephitince. Rostral portion of skull as in the foregoinnr- cerebral portion conical, rapidly widening backward, with nearly straight lateral outlines. Postorbital processes moderately well developed. Anteorbital foramen large, subtriangular, presenting vertically. Posterior nares as in Mephitina'. Bony palate produced back of the molars, as in Mustelime. Auditory bullae very highly inflated, with little constriction across the short tubular portion. Periotic region much as in Mtistelinfc, the paroccipitals close to the enormous buUoe. Mastoids moderately developed, outward. Glenoid fossa very deep, with prominent anterior as well as posterior walls, at length locking in the condyle. Ooronoid process as in the foregoing. Feet with ordinary development and ratio of digits, not webbed. Body stout, extremely de- pressed ; tail short, stout, flattened ; size medium ; snout some- what hog-like. Progression plantigrade. Terrestrial and highly fossorial ; fore claws highly developed. Perinseal glands mod- erately developed. A peculiar subcaudal pouch. 4. LuTRiN-^. — Teeth of ordinary Carnivorous pattern, 36 in number; Pm. ^; the number equal in the two jaws, 1^; incisors, canines, and molars as before. Molar of upper jaw quadrate. Back upper premolar substantially as in Mephitimc and Melimc. Kostral i)art of skull extremely short, bringing the fore ends of the nasals nearly or quite opposite the anterior root of the zygoma, the sides of the rostrum erect, tlio top flat. Cerebral portion of the skull much swollen backward, with strongly convex lateral outlines. Postorbital processes variable (highly devel- oped in the North American species, slight or wanting in some others). Anteorbital foramen very large, presenting obliquely downward as well as forward, circumscribed above by a very slender maxillary process. Posterior nares as in Mustelincc. Bony palate produced far back of molars. Auditory bulla? very flat. Periotic region expanded, removing the paroccipitals from the bullsB, but the surface not horizontal as in Mephitimc, but very oblique. Mastoids highly developed, downward. Glenoid much as in Melinw, deep, sometimes locking condyle. Coronoid as in the foregoing. Feet with ordinary development and rat' of digits, which are fully webbed. Claws variable, sometime rudimentary or wanting. Body stout, but elongate and cylin- 12 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. :;■ 'in drical; tail long, conical, tapering, sometimes dilated, close- Laired; mnzzle very obtuse. Highly aquatic in habits. Pelage ^vhole-col' 1. 5. Eni iiiNiE. — Teeth very aberrant in general pattern, the molars rua premolars without trenchant edges or acute angles, but tuberculous, 32 in number, and of equal number in both jaws, brought about by incisors —^ and premolars g"^, the ca- nines and molars remaining as before. Molar of upper jaw irreg- ularly oval ; back upper premolar defunctionalized as a " sec- torial" tooth, and substantially similar to the molar. Propor- tions of rostral and cerebral parts of the skull substantially as in Lutrina\ but rather an exaggeration of that conformation. Postorbital processes moderate. Anteorbital foramen very large, triangular, presenting downward and forward; the bridge over it very slender. Posterior nares as in Liitrinw. Palate produced far back of molars ; iuterpterygoid space very wide, the emargination rather wider than deep. Auditory bulhne, periotic region, mastoids, and glenoids as in Lutrimv. Coronoid sloping backward, obtusely falcate, its apex overtopping con- dyle. Hind feet with extraordinary development and ratio of digits, being transformed into Seal-like flippers ; otherwise gen- eral configuration and external appearance substantially as in Liitrina'. Highly aquatic and marine. ON THE ODORIFEROUS ANAL GLANDS OF THE MUSTELIDiE. mm Throughout this family of Carnivores are found special secre- tory apparatus in the perinseal region, which furnish a strongly odorous fluid. These glands are so highly developed, and play such a part in the economy of the animals, that special notice is to be taken of them. A classification of the Mustelidce has even been proposed, based chiefly upon their modifications in the different genera. They early attracted attention, and have long been generally known to zoologists. Quite recently a French anatomist, M. Ghatin, has made them a special study, publishing a very important and interesting paper upon the subject.* This paper, so .far as it relates to the Mustelidw (for the author has studied the odorous anal glands of various other animals), I have translated for incorporation with the present work ; under heads of the several species beyond will be found * Recherchos pour servir d, I'histoire aiiatoiniqiiedes glaudos odorautea dea matuniif^res. Par M.-J. Chatiu. <^Annale8 des Sciences Naturellea, 5" sdr,, tome xix, pp. 1-135, plaucbes i-ix, 1874. ANAL GLANDS IN MUSTELID^. 13 the matter relating to them. Here I introduce M. Chatin's de- scriptious of the parts as they appear in Mustela foina, for the same type of structure obtains throughout the subfamily Mtis- telinw. I also bring in the author s resume of the several mod- ifications of structure found in the family at large, with extracts from his proposed classifloation of the family, as based prima- rily upon theso organs, though I should add that I do not indorse his views without qualification. 1. — Description of the glands in Mustela foina, as illustrating their structure throughout the subfamily Mustelina:* The anal glandular apparatus being essentially the same throughout the Mustelinw, the following description of the parts as they appear in Mustela foina will suffice : — The anal orifice is found at the bottom of a fossa covered with thin, smooth, whitish integument, with a slightly raised border, the rudiment of a fold which is much more highly de- veloped in the Skunk. At each side of this fossa, in a small special depression, in front of which this fold lies, is found an unibilicated papilla, through the narrow orifice of which the milky-whitish secretion of the anal gland exudes. Within the perimeum are two lateral masses, each as large as a small bean, bound together by one muscular envelope. The anal gland is 11 millimetres long and G across the middle. Upon removal of the muscular coat, which is rather delicate, the secretory part comes into view ; its exterior is studded with nipple-like emi- nences ; its substance is like that of the anal glands of most Carnivores. The parenchymatous tissue mainly consists of lam- inated fibres, elastic fibres, nerve tubes, and capillaries ; the striped muscular fibres do not penetrate the substance of the organ. The culs-de-sac are of an average diameter of 0.04 millimetre ; they are sometimes varicose or raoniliform, and in- close a granular substance. In the middle of the gland is a small receptacle ior the product of secretion, which is voided through a sho^c duct opening on the ei«ard; in Sweden and Denmark, //>vV>7M<7 or f)fW>///«(7, that is to say, OrnuUng, "a gray or grizzly beast". But the proper Cel^^ic name of the ani- mal is broc; in the Gaelic, Irish, and Bretonic remarkably like the Danish brok, and somewhat similar to borsuk, which prevails in Poland, Eussia, and Siberia ; there this name for the Badger is current among the Bashkirs, Kirghiz, and Buchares, and is rendered horz by the Magyars; so we may consider it a primitive Turanian word, the more so since the South Sclavonic uses an- other term, in Cuvu'iohi, jozavec or janbez ; in Bohemia, gezivee. The Wallachian, jezure or esure, which has been incorrectly con- sidered as from the Latin esor, eater, is probably related. iii4 ViELFRASS [Oiilo luscvs], — According to the latest investi- gations, the Glutton inhabited Middle Europe nearly to the Alps, in the period of the Lake-dwellers {P/uhlbauteu, literally pile-buildings), together with the Reindeer; and of its occur- rence in Germany, even in the last century, two cases are given, one at Frauenstein in Saxony, by Klein, 1751, the other at Helmstiidt in Brunswick, by Zimmermann, 1777, both, unfor- tunately, without the particulars. Though both these zoolo- gists saw the stuffed specimen, neither gives the date of cap- ture, the first only stating that it occurred under Augustus H, who died in 1733. These can only have been stray s[)eciuiens, since no contemporaneous or previous writer mentions the oc- currence of the animal in Germany. The species was entirely unknown in the Middle Ages, making its first appearance in literature through Michow, a physician of Cracow (de Sarma- tia Asiana et Europa^a, 1532), as Lithuanian and Moscovitic, and through Bishop Olaus Magnus, of Upsala, 1562, as an ani- mal of North Sweden, thus nearly at the limit of its present distribution. What we can gather from the name of the ani- mal accords perfectly with this. In Europe, names are only found in the vernacular proper of Scandinavia and Russia, jar/" or jerv of the former, and rossomaha of the latter, both of which are given by the above-mentioned historians; all German, French, Latin, and such, are book-names, intended to denote if I iiii; ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF MUSTELID.E. 23 the voracity of the aniiual, and point back to the well-known account of Ohms, as the German Vicl/rass, the Latin OulOj the French Olouton, the Kni^iish Glutton. It has often been as- serted that the (Jerman VielJ'ra,s/i, in the sense of glutton, is a misunderstanding, it being derived from the Swedish word fi('(U, Norwegian /jail, rock or clilf; but this I cannot credit, first, be(;ause the secontl sylhible is not accounted for on such supposition {fjall—ydri is remote, and the animal is nowhere so called, but simply jaV/'); secondly, because both the Swed- ish Olaus Magnus and the Norwegian Bishop Pontoppidau give its voracity special prominence, and from this trait derive the name jerf (<;ier/;, "gierig", greedy f), translated Gulo aud Vielfniss. Another Norwegian clergyman, H. Strom, gives, iu- deed, the designation Fieldfrass, besides jcrf, to the animal, which is of rare occurrence in his locality, but with the explicit remark that Fiehlfrms was, beyond doubt, derived from the German word Vicl/rass. This is thus exactly contrary to the usual German acceptation; and, in fact, "Felsenfrass-' would be a singular appellation. ZoBEL [Mufitela zibellina]. — The name appears as early as the latter half of the Middle Ages, under many variations, as the modern Latin, sahelns, zibellina ; Gernmn, zebvl (as early as the ninth century, according to Graff), zobel ; Proven9al, sebeli ; English and old French, sable ; Swedish, sabel ; Russian, sobol ; Finnish, soboli — in every case meaning a northern peltry. In the East, we find atiother variation, samur, in the Crimea aud Armenia, and thence to Servia aud Wallachia. The name is probably of Turanian origin. Mabdek [Mustela marten, M. foina], — This word now occurs in Germanic aud Bomanic languages, in both either with or without the second K, as the Spanish and Portuguese marta, in the former as a feminine noun, and likewise the French la marie, though in some dialects la martre, the Provencal mart, Italian martora and martorella ; the English martin [or, ofteuer, marten — Tr.] appears to be an easy way of raying martern, still in use in some localities; Dutch wwrfer, Swedish mard, Danish maar. Seeking for the earliest form of the word, we first find martes in Martial, the Spanish-born Roman poet ; but this can scarcely be an old Latin word, as it is not found in Pliny or other classical writers; aud Martial often introduced forcJgn 24 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. m words into his Latin. In Anglo-Saxon, it only appears as meardh; whilst, on the other hand, in Germany, we find martarus used by Hildegard and Albertus Magnus, in the twelfth and thir- teenth centuries. The resemblance to the German verb " mar- tern" [to torment] is obvious ; in fact, " martern " might be de fined " to act like a marten ", the proper implication being, not the sanguinary murders the marten commits, but the palpable torment which it designedly inflicts. Another derivation comes decidedly nearer — martyr, meaning a person tortured, from martyrium, torture, whence the verb first arose. The resem- blance in sound may have occasioned the second R in those cases in which it appears. We might also seek to establish a connection between " marder", a marten, and " Morder", Ger- man for a murderer; but the T, which occurs in a majority of the forms of the word, is against this, as is also the fact that the German name occurs in many languages to which " Mord ■' and " Morder " do not belong. A second Romanic name of the Marten is fuina; Spanish and Italian the same, Portuguese /wm/m, French la fouine; in some dialects with a in place of w, as in certain Italian locali ties faina, in Provence faguino, fahino, Old French fayne; Catalonian fagina, Belgic faweina, in the Canton of Grau- bUndten further modified into Jierna. The obsolete German names of certain pelts, Fehe, Feh-icamme, are very likely re- lated. The word is not Latin as the name of an animal ; but it may be inquired, with respect to the later forms, whether it does not probably signify marta fagina. Beech-marten, as one of the two European species of the genus is often named ; properly the Tree- or Pine-marten, in distinction from the Stone- or House-marten, since the former lives in the forest, the latter about buildings ; though very curiously, the Stone- marten [ M u stela foina\ is the Martarus or Martes fagorum of Albertus Magnus and afterward of Ray, whilst the Pine- marten [M. 'inartes] is distinguished as M. abietum, "Marten of the firs". The precise distinction between fouine, foina = Stone-marten, and martCy martes = Pine-marten, moreover, may have been first set forth by Bufibn and Linujeus, and have obtained rather among zoologists than among the people at large; the more valuable Pine-marten ["Edel-marder", liter- ally "noble marten"! took the commonest name, leaving the less popular one for the other rarer species. From th\» fouine, >\h \ ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF MUSTELID^:. 25 the French have formed the verb foubier, to pry into or ram- mage about.* The Celtic, Sclavonic, and Finnish names are entirely differ- ent, as are the Cymric bela,\ the Eussian, Polish, Bohemian, and Orainish Tcuna, Finnish and Laplandish niita; with which the Magyaric nyest or nest accords. Iltis [Putoriiis fcctidus].— The German name is found under many variations, according to localities, particularly in North Germany, as iltniti, eltiSy Danish ilder, Swedish iller; further- more, with k, ilk J ulk, according to Bechstein in Thuringia even Ram-unk, which is the well known name of a reptile [toad]; and again with 6, elb-thier, elbkatze, which has been sought to be derived from elben = elves, the nocturnal sprites; but the oldest form of the word known to me, ilUbenzus of Albertus Magnus (thirteenth century), is little unfavorable to this etymology. The Dutch bunsing stands entirely alone. The Romanic languages name the species simply from its bad smell, as the Italian puszola^ French putois, mediteval Latin ptitorins, the pusnais of French animal-fable, which is the same as pitnaise, a bed-bug. The second portion of the English name, pole-cat, is of obvious meaning; agreeably to which we find in Diefenbach (Celtica, ii, p. 435) that in Wales, in early times, the animal was kept, or, more likely, suffered to remain, about houses, to destroy mice.| Another English name, fitclier, Jitchet [or Jitch — Tr.], related to the old French fissan, apparently indicates the same capacity in which the animal was employed or regarded. The Sclavonic languages have a particular word, tschor, tschorz, or tscher, in Carniolan ticor, in Roumanian dihor. By Pliny (8, 55, 84), this species is called viverra, probably an Iberian word no longer occurring in later languages, and which Linnreus first reapplied in zoology to the Civet-cats. Since the Middle Ages, however, two forms of the name of this animal have simultaneously appeared, the first without *, furo of Isidor of Sevilla (seventh century), whence the present Por- * " Diirchsuchen, durchstobern " ; so tlofineil by the uriter, bnto'f-iir au- thority defines fouiner to slink off, to ia«»ak: away ; lEv^d only in trivial style. But either meaning is sufficiently charaoteristio of the animals. — Tk. t Obviously related to the modern French btlettc—see beyond. — Tu. I The whole English word, poh-cnt, is by some simply rendered "I'olish- cat", as if the animal were originally from Poland. In America, the word has been very commonly transferred to the .Skunks, M»phUii : Catesby's pol- cat is such, and Kalm's fiskatta is translated j#o/e-t»t<. — Tk. 26 NORTH AMEPTCAN MUh/ UJE. m tuguese /umo, and tho Spanish /«w>on, transferred by the Span- ish colonists to the South American Galictis vittata, and the North American Miistela huro Fr. Cuv., and ^iiretus of the Em- peror Frederick II, considered as French L Albertus Magnus, with which the present French furet, English ferret, Celtic fared and fearaid, GerniRii frett, are all related. The -et may be a diminutive form, or be a part of the original word ; it is slighted by the etymologist Isidor, who somewhat gratuitously finds in it the Latin /Mr, thief. The word cannot be Arabic, for Isidor died in 636, before the irruption of the Arabs into Africa. But if, as Shaw states, the Weasel is called /erf in Barbary, the probability is that the word, like others, is common to the North African pre- Arabic and the Iberian pre-Romanic languages, and that it is this very animal which Strabo calls the North African (Libyan) Weasel.* 4l\ ■;!r WiESEL [Putorius vtdgaris]. — This word is found in most of the Germanic languages: Swedish wessla; English iceesel or weasel; Dutch icezel. It may be traced back to late mediaeval German and Anglo-Saxon. The Swabian verb icuseln, to skip about ("sicA rasch bea-efien^) like any small creature, may readily be derived from wiesel, notwithstanding the difference in the vowel. In this case again, as in the instance of daihs, the same word recurs in Spanish, but without the diminutive termination, as veso. It is found in mediaeval Latin of the twelfth century, and was by the Romanic colonists bestowed upon an American Musteline animal {Putorim vison, the repre- sentative of the European Mink). The ordinary French term for the Weasel, bektte, is diminutive of the old French bele, from the Celtic and the present Welch hela, a marten, and also occurs under a different modification in North Italy, which was certainly once inhabited by Celts. It may all the more readily have been preserved in French, since it may be con- sidered related to belle, pretty, and be so interpreted. Certainly in many languages the Weasel derives its name from its neat and elegant ways, as the Italian donnola and Portuguese doninha, little lady; the Spanish comadreja, god-mother; the ' * According to RoUeston ( Journ. Anat. aud Pfays. i. 1867, p. 47 aeq.) the Cat aud the Marten were both domesticated in Italy nine hundred years before the period of the Crusades, and the latter, Mustela foina, was the " cat" or yaX^ of the ancients, who, furthermore, called Mustela martea yaTif/ iiypia, and designated Vherra genetta as rapniama ya/.i], — Tit. ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF MUSTELID.E. 27 andereigerra * of the iubabitauts of Biscay, meauiug the same as the Portuguese word just given; the late Greek >tjfia, a hunt; since * does not become t in Latin. According to Risso, the Weasel is called moustelle to this very day iu Xice, and in Lorraine, according to Diez, moteile; this is a partial persistence of the name which, among the Romans, not only indicated the Weasel as the species best known to them, but also included the other Musteline animals iu general. So it was also with the Greek ya/Jr/ (Batrachomyomachia, 9) or ^a/.^ (Arist. Hist. An. 2, 1, and his not very well written book 9, chap. 6), the best-known Greek species of the Marten family, yellowish, white beneath, and a mouser; whilst the fable that it was a transformed maiden (Ovid, Metam. 9, 306-323; Galanthis, with the express statement that the beast still lived about houses) accords well with the complimentary names already mentioned. Thps mnstela is primarily our Weasel [Putorius imlgaris]^ though occasionally other species receive the same name, as, for example, an African one, in Herodotus, 4, 192. More difficult to explain is the second Greek name, ^ txrt?, the skin of which, according to Homer (Iliad, 10, 333), made a night-cap for a Trojan hero, and which, according to Pseudo- Aristotle, Hist. An. 9, 6, was of the size of a small Mr'.tese dog {'■'■ Malteser Hiindchens'^), like a Weasel, white underneath, and fond of honey. This latter circumstance caused Cetti to sep- * Precisely the same as the Latin tniilkrcHla. — Tii. I M 'I 28 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. n \\i\ iP"' arate his boceamehi ("honcj-mouth" — as we should say, "hav- ing a sweet tooth "), which is, however, a species scarcely dis- tinguishable from P. vulyaris {ef. Zool. Gart. 1867, p. 68). Au- bert and Wimmer, on the other hand, argue for Miistela foina, as this animal is common in Greece, where it is still called ixrU; the latter jiosition is certainly well taken, and the Marten, as the larger animal, better fulfils the Homeric indica- tion just given; but the expression "white underneath" is only true of the throat of the Martens, for both species of Muatela are dark-colored on the belly, and in this respect very different from the Weasel. For the rest, it is much more prob- able that Aristotle named both the Marten and the Weasel together, than that he distinguished two kinds of Weasels and knew nothing whatever of the Marten. Hermelin [Putorins erminea]. — Though this name soundii; like a foreign word, it is nevertheless probably of German ori- gin, since not only are there several provincial variations of less strange accent, like Heermunchen and Harmchen, but there is also the simple harmo of old German manuscripts of the ninth to the eleventh century (Graff, althochdeutscher Sprach- schatz). From this came harmelhi, of the twelfth century,, simply the diminutive. The name went with the peltries into foreign lauds, becoming the Italian armelUno, the Spanish armino, the French [and English] ermine — originally, with Al- bertus Magnus, who had many French forms of names, erm'ini- «m, — and came back to the German as Hermelin, with ^ foreign accent, on the last syllable. The she-fox Ermeleyn, in the Fable of "Reinecke Fuchs" ["The Beasts at Court"], obviously derived her name from this animal. In Lithuanian, we find szarmii or 8zarmonys?i^ the name of the same animal, which is the same as harmo, according to the rules for the rendering of the sound, just as the Lithuanian szirtlis is the German herz. The inter- pretation of Hermelin as the "Armenian Mouse" is thus vir- tually refuted. The Swedes call the animal ross-kat and le-Mt, the latter probably shortened from Lemmiwjskatze, since the creature is destructive to Lemmings. In North France, we find for the Ermine the name roselet, obviously indicating its red- dish coloi', and with this corresponds the fabulous name Riissel, offspring of the Ermeleyn. The South European languages have no special name of their own for the Ermine, since it is there found only in the mountains, as the Southern Alps and the Balkan for example. I I 1 % ■■'■!■ ^ ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF MUSTELID.E. 29 NoRZ [Putorius hUreola].— Thin animal is at ouce proclaimed to be East European by its name; for the word, first used in Germany by the Saxon mineralogist Agrieola, in 1546, is Scla- vonic; the Kussian is norka, the South Russian nortschil', the Polish nurek, from the verb nurka, to dive. The Swedes alone, in whose country the animal also appears, have a particular name for it, mcink, which is the source of the mink or miiix ap- plied to the different North American species [P. vison]. Otter [Lutra vulgaris], — To the comparative philologist this word offers a field as broad as it is difl&cult, for the names of the animal in various European languages are enough alike to be compared, yet sufficiently dissimilar to be questioned as the same word; the initial particularly differs in a suspicious manner: otter, Ultra, evudpiq. In Sanskrit and Zend,* we find for an aquatic animal, of what kind is not known with cer- tainty, but which may easily have been the Fish -otter, the name udra-s, derived from the root ud, water (Latin udus, Greek uSwp). With this agrees perfectly the Lithuanian udra, the Curlandic and Livonian nderis, and, with slight change of the initial, wydra, which obtains throughout the Sclavonic tongues, the Roumanian vidre — all of which are actual names of the Otter. In the Germanic languages, the u becomes o; otr in the old Northern sagas, ottar in old mediaeval German, otter in the present German, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish, though in the latter the early initial u sometimes reappears, giving utter. The change of d into t is the rule in the rendering of the sound of Sanskrit, Greek, Lithuanian, and Sclavonic in the Germanic languages, although in pure German this consonant properly changes into sharp « {udwp, water — ^Hcasser^ as is not, how- ever, the case with the name of the animal. In Greek, we find, as the name of the Otter, hoSpn;, Herod. 2, 72, and 4, 109, ivu8p\i;, Arist. Hist. An. 1, 1, and 8, 5, or ho8poq^ Aelian Hist. An. 11, 37, nearly always mentioned in connection with the Beaver; also the forms, agreeing better with the San- skrit, 83/>of, lidpa, the former for an actual serpent (Ilias, 2, 723, Arist. Hist. An. 2, 17, 83), the latter for a fabulous serpent like monster (Hesiod, Theogon. 413, &c.). In Latin, we find only lutra, Plin. 8, 30, 47, which differs not only in the initial, but also in the t, though the Latin should agree with the Greek and Sanskrit and differ from the Ger- *Zend: the language of the Avesta, or aucient sacred writings of the Per- siauH. The people who used it were a branch of the Asiatic Aryans.— Tr. 1^ b:i m i: nm i i'i F I ! ii i: > I 111 30 NORTH AMERICAxV MUSTELID.E. manic in respect to the consonants. This Intra obtains in modern Romanic ages with littk; variation ; French, la lout re; Italian in soMje Itali; itive fif), an [cf. oHza, o«i ,, luiria or loirUt. ortugaese, lontra / Asturian, londra ; .ects, lodra, ludria (preserving the prim- .a (which bears lightly upon the name unze ounce] among the cats [Felidie] ; Provencal, The >i in many of these names may simply be a matter of easy pronunciation. Curiously enough, we find in Norway, far removed from Romanic influence, a name of the Otter of similar sound, slenter. The Spaniard says nutria. This may be an arbitrary corrup- tion of Ultra; but when we recall the Greek huSpt^, and consider that many Spanish names of animals are nearer the Greek than the Latin (for example, (jolondrinasix-^'^^''' [* swallow], and galapago in the first two syllables =;f?A((ii/ij [a turtle]), it seems very likely that nutria is derived from svoUpt^'', and it may be seriously questioned whether the latter is actually com- pounded of h and Idwp, not rather that the v represents the I in Intra, and that the s is simply a prefix, as in iXaxv^ = the San- skrit lag hus=:the Latin levis. Initial I and n are sometimes in- terchangeable, as for instance in the Greek Urpov and virpov, the Latin lamellassthe Proven5al namela (Ourtius, Griechische Etym. 395). The primitive IndoGermanic word from which all the above are conjecturally derived probably did not begin with a pure vowel, since a consonant precedes it in so many of the foregoing forms, as the o in Sclavonic, the I in Latin, and the rough aspirate in Greek. The German word otter, when it signifies a snake, is femi- nine ; when used for the quadruped it is indifferently masculine or feminine. The former is justifiable, inasmuch as the old Northern otr or otur is masculine ; to make it feminine may be partly on account of its identity with the name of the serpent, partly from its analogy with the Romanic lutra. Albertus Magnus furthermore converted lutra into the masculine form. Inter, In the Middle Ages, finally, there arose the Latin word hitrix, as the name of a snake, formed from lutra by anal- ogy with natrix, and apparently furnishing an imitation of the double employ of otter. On account of its similarity in form and its kindred significa- tion, I cannot refrain from mentioning in this connection the word natter [viper, a kind of snake]. In spite of the Spanish nudria, I believe that it has nothing to do with otter, though ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF MUSTELIDiE. 31 the two are often coufounded by persons not learned in natural history, or considered of similar signification. It is an old word, appearing in the Latin of Cicero as natrix (Qu. Acad. 2, 28); in the Gothic of Ultilas as nadrs, masculine moreover, Ev. Luc. 3, 7, where the Greek text has lyidva, and Luther translated ^^ otter", but at that time already feminine in the old Northern nadhra. The same word is also found in Celtic. This wide diffusion of the word makes it probable that the Latin natrix is not to be interpreted as a swimmer, as if from nare =natare ; in general, people take ^^ natter" for a poisonous serpent, not simply as a water-snake, and the specific applica- tion of the term to the Coluber natrix Linn, is of later origin. Many philologists derive the word from an old root, na (Ger- man nahen, Latin neo, Greek >^<(*), in the sense of coiling ("wwic/tnitrew"); cf. Latin necto. We may briefly treat of other names of the Otter. The Celtic languages have a particular term, Gaelic dobran, Cymric dyfrgi. The Tartaric Icama has probably given name to the largest tributary of the Volga. In many, particularly Asiatic, languages, our animal is called by some equivalent of " water- dog" or "river-dog"; as in the Dekan paniciitta; in the Ca- naries (and also in the East Indies), nir-nai; Malayan, andjing- ayer ; whilst the xui/s? r.oTdix'jn of Aelian, 14, 21, appear to have been Otters. ; i I iiiii! CHATTER II. !JI'fi'»- TTj Geneiuc CHARACTEU8.— Z)e«<<(l formula : i. '{^^ ; c. ~r] m. ^ J =7,-^ = 38 (as in irmtela). Sectoilaltooth of lower jaw (anterior true M.) without an internal cuap (usually evident in 3/«s/e?fl). Anteorbltal fora- men presenting obliquely upward as well as forward, canal-like, and open- ing over interspace between last and penultimate premolars. Skull little constricted at the middle ; rostral portion relatively shorter, stouter, and more obliquely truncated anteriorly than in Mustda. General apper outline of the skull in profile more arched. Mastoids and auditory tubes more pro- duced, the whole periotic region decidedly more prominent. Zygomatio arch very high behind, at first ascending vertically, then giving oflf a pos- terior convexity. Depth of emargination of palate about equal to distance thence to the molars. Skull, as a whole, massive, finally developing strong ridges. Fertebral formula : c.7 ; d. 15 ; ?. 5 ; «. 3 ; cd. 1.5 or 16. (Gerrard.) Size much above the average for this family, and nearly at a maximum {lialictia alone, of this subfamily, is said to be larger). Form very stout, and general appearance rather Bear-like than Weasel-like ; organization ro- bust. Legs short and stout. Tail short (about as long as the head), bushy, with drooping hairs. Pelage shaggy. Ears low. Soles densely hairy, with six small naked pads. Claws strong, acute, much curved. Coloration pe- culiar.* Anal glands moderately developed. Progression incompletely plan- grade. Habits chiefiy terrestrial. Notwithstanding the remarkably peculiar outward aspect of GhJo in comparison with its allies, it is very closely related to the Martens in structure, forbidding more than generic distinc- tion from Mustela. The dental formula is the same. In addi- tion to the cranial characters above given, it may be stated that the skull is relatively as well as absolutely more massive than that of the arboreal Martens, in coordination with the much more robust and sturdy organization of the Wolverene. Detailed descriptions of the skull and teeth, as well as of the external characters of the genus, are given beyond under the head of the single known species, O. Iu8cu8. The generic name is the Latin gulo, a glutton, in allusion to the voracity of the animal. The obvious relation of the word is with the Latin gula, throat or gullet, also used figuratively for appetite or gluttony ; and in various languages the vernac- ular name of the species is a word of similar signification. ^' Gulo " was the original specific name in the binomial nomen- clature; but its application to the, present animal was origi- nally simply by translation into Latin of the Scandinavian and Russian vernacular (cf. anted,, p. 22). * In the pattern of coloration, however, we discern the trace of the same character that is fully developed in Mephitis mephitiva— the light bands, con- verging over the rump, being similar to the stronger white stripes which mark the Skunk. 3 M l\ I'i 84 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELIDiE. The Wolverene. Onlo luiicu*. Plats I. m I III (1. Old World rtjfereneeii.) GulO, anci'/uorum.— "Cf(!«n. Quad. Vivip. 1551, 633, flg.— 0(. Ifo^. Hitt. Gent. Sept. 15SS, Va.—Aldrov. Quad. Dig. 1045, m.—Seheff. Lappon. 1673, 339.— OAaWtt, Exerclt. 1077, 15.-j;;aez. Hist. Nat. Polon. 1791, 318.— Linn. S. X. 9d-5th eda. 1740-7, AA.— Klein, Quad. 1751, B3, pi. i.—HUl, Hist. An. 1753, 546, pi. Vl.—Jonit. Theatr. 1755, 131, pi. 57." MustcU ruro'fuscii, medio dorM nlgro, L. Fn. Suec. lat ed. 1746, 9, no. 6; S. K. 6th-7th edit. 1748, 5, DO. 1 Kram. Elenob. Vef{. et Anim. 1756, 311. Mustel* gUlO, L. Fn. Saeo. 3d od. 1761, 5, no. 14; S. N. i. 10th ed. 1753, 45, no. 3; S. N. i. 13tb ed. 1766, 67, no. h.—Ounn. Act. Midros. ill. 191, pi. 3, f. S.— JETouM. Natura. ii 169, pi. 14, f. i—MM. Zool. Dan. Prod, 1776, 3, no. Xi.—Erxl Syst. An. 1777, 477, no. li.—FaJb. Fn. Grwnl. 17»0, 31, no. 19. I'rsHS gUlo, Sehreh. Siing. ill. 1778, 535, pis. 144 (Act. Holm. 1773) and 144* (Buff.).— Zimm. Oeog. Oescta. ii. 17d0, 376, no. 168.-Om. S. X. i. 1788, 104, no. %.—Shaw, O. '£. i. 1800, 460, pi. 104.— Tur(. S. N. i. 1806, 64.— Cuv. "Tabl. fil6m. — , 113. "—'J'. Cuv. Diet. Sci. Nat. xix.7D, f— ," Heles gUlO, PaU. Spic. Zool. xiv, 1780, iiS. pi. 3; Z. R. A. i, 1831, 73, no. Vi.—Bodd. Blench. An. i. 1784, 81, no. 5. T«XH8 gUlOi Tiedem, Zool. i. 1808, 377. OulO borealls, "A'tl««. Ilium. Fig. till Sknud. Fn."— "Kcfz. Fn. Suec. 1800, S.V"— Our. It. A. 1. 1817, —.—^Yar|n. Suppl. Schreb. ii. 1841, ^M.—Keyg. •« Bias. Wirb. Eur. lH4i), r,6.—lichim. Syn. Mamm. 1844, Mt.—Bla*. Wirb. Deutscbl. 1837, 309, iigs. Ill), Vid (sknll).— £ran(i(, Bemerk. Wirb. N. K. Kussl. 185-, W.—Qray, P. Z. S. 1865, 130. Golo siblrlcus, PaM. "Sp. Zool. xiv. t. 3".— (Oray.) Onlo arctleus, Dttm. Mamm. i. 183U, 174.— £m«. Mam. 1837, Ui.— Fitch. Syn. 1829, 131.— Oieb. Siiug. 1855, ^^.—Fit^inger, Naturg. Saug. 1. 1861, 341, f. 70. dnlo TUlgarlit, OHff. An. Klngd. v. 1837, 117, no. 331.— J7. Smith, Nat. Lib. xv. 1843, 908. Onlo leucaras, "Htd9nhorg".—(Qray.) BossonskS, Ruttian.—" Nitremb. Hist.Nat. 1635, \6d.—Rouom(Kk,BeU. Trav.i. 1763, 331.— Rotomaeh, Ryttoh. Orenb. Topog. i. 1773, 337.— Aotomai, SUlUr, Besohr. Kamt. 1774, 118. " TeelvrMt, " Tsbr. Seize oaar China, 1704, 31.— .ffoutt. Nat Hist. Dier. ii. 1761, 189, pi. 14, f. i."— Dutch. Tlclfrasti, £I«tn, op. et loo. cU.—J. 0. Om. Reise Siblr. ill. 1751, 493 MiilUr, Natura. i. 1773, 365, pi. 14, f. 4 (ex. Hoatt.).— Fon Marteixt, Zool. Qart. xi. 1870, 353 (philologi- cal).— Oerman. TlelfrM, HaUen, Naturg. Tblere, 1757, 549. fiOHloi, Bomare, Diet. d'Hist. Nat. ii. 1768, 343. fllOMlOB. Bomare, torn. cU. 333.-Buf. HUt. Nat. xiii. 1765, 378 ; Snppl. iii, 340, pi. 48. - French. eintlOB, Ptnn. Syn. Qnad. 1771, 190.—Engli«h. itrt,3ldn,¥iltru,A'onoegian, JM, Jtrj, Flltrws, 8wedith,—Gen^rg, Act. Stuokh. 1773, 333, pi. 7, 8. Wtttk, LapUmdert. (B. Anuriean r ^re several irregular spots j DESCRIPTION OF GULO LUSCUS. m of light color, as in Mvstcla. The legs, feet, most of the tail, and under parts generally, are quite blackish. The claws are whitish, strong, sharp, much curved, and about an inch long. "The color of tl'o fur varies much according to the season and age. The younger animals are invariably darker in the shadings than the old, which exhibit more of the grey mark- ings. ... In some specimens the yellowish fringing of the sides and rump is almost entirely white and of larger extent, leaving but a narrow stripe on the centre of the back dark. In such the hoary markings of the head would be of greater extent, and descend, most probably, to the shoulders." — (Ross, I. c.) Meaeurcmiuta of seren specimens of GULO IX'SCUS, a 356 1092 1093 1057 16tH t Locality. Port Simpaoii, H. B. T Yakon Kiver, Alaska . do Peel's River (Dec.) ... do Mackenzie's River Montana, U.S From tip of nose Tailto to— end of— e S I a 5 ' H I 60 5. 10 5. 00 5. 70 3. 75 4. 80 C. 00:6. 50(). lOJS. 15j«. •jl,6. 10 S. 26. 50, 31. 00 29. 25 29. 00 27.00 34. bO; 36.00 — I- r.4o r.60 ?.60 ).25 iOO, r». 00' 8.90 ^ 12.40 13.60 13.10 15. 00 13.00 Lcnctli oi- 00 00 50 5.10 13.00:4.40 14.00! 7.10 (i. 75 li. 70 6.50 o g a H 'A 2. 00 Fresh. ...do. ...do. ...do. ...do. Dry. '*Krora Ross. Longest iiairsof body 4.00; of tail 7.50; upper canines 0.90; lower 0.75. t From Baird. Anal glands. The anal glands of this animal are stated to be of about the size of a walnut; the fluid yellowish-brown and of the consistency of honey. The discharge is by the usual lateral papillse within the verge of the anus. The scent is foetid in a high degree. Description of the sliuU and teeth. (See Plate I.) ,. The massiveness of the skull of Gitlo, in comparison with that of Mustela, is as striking as its superiority in size. In general form, the prominent peculiarity is the strong convexity of the upper outline in profile. From the highest point, just behind the orbits, the skull ..' ^nes rapidly downward behind; and the frontal declivity is also iu.'';h greater than in Mustela. There I 38 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^E. Ill III ill liiii' iil! M 1:1 J I is much more of a troutal concavity, and the plane of the nasal orifice is extremely oblique. These features of the profile rather suggest a Feline than a Musteline skrull, although, of course, the resemblance is still far from complete. There is a strong char- acter in the zygoma : in 2[ustela a simple arch ; here a nearly horizontal beam borne posteriorly upon an upright base, with a strongly convex backwardly projecting elbow. The same straightness requires a prominent process for definition of this part of the orbit. The zygoma is laminar and quite deep, much more so than in Mustela, Viewed from above, the zygomata are widely divergent from before backward. The anteorbital foramen is comparatively small, and appea. over the fore bor- der of the sectorial tooth. Prominent characters are observed in the paroccipital and mastoid, which form great processes of abutment against the bullne, the same being only moderate in Mustela, and merely indicated in the smaller Weasels. The pal- ate is very broad for its length, with straight (not a little con- cave) sides ; measured across its broadest point, it forms very nearly an equilateral triangle with the sides. The posterior emargination is moderate, broadly U-shaped. The bullae audi- torice are only inflated on less than the interior half, the rest being greatly contracted and drawn out into a long tubular meatus (one extreme, of which the other is seen in the slender- bodied species of Gale — compare descriptions). The basi- occipital space is somewhat wedge-shaped, owing to the diverg- ence posteriorly of the bullre. The pterygoids are very stout at base, but soon become laminar, and terminate in long, slen- der, hamular processes. Even in young skulls, the lambdoidal crests are as strong and flaring as in the oldest of Mtistela, and terminate in the very prominent mastoids. The occipital sur- face is considerably excavated beneath these crests; the mediau superior protuberance is great. The condition of the sagittal crest varies, as usual, with age. In the youngest specimens, it is single and median for but a little way, then gradually divar- icates on either hand to the supraorbital process ; in the old- est, the divarication only begins more than half-way forward, a high, thin crest occupying the rest of the median line. The general shape of the brain-box, viewed from above, is, in con- •equence of the breadth and depression of the skall behind, neither the ovate nor the somewhat cylindrical, as obtains in Mustela and Putorius, but rather trapezoidal, somewhat as in Taxidea. The body of the under jaw is shaped exactly as in SKULL AND TEETH OP GULO LUSCUS. 39 Mnstela, though it is more massive, but the coronoid is differ- ent. Its back' border rises straight and perpendicularly, the anterior border curving strongly backward to meet it in a rounded obtuse apex. In Muatela, the borders gradually ap- proximate to each other and meet more acutely. M. pennanti alone is much like Otilo in this respect. Eeviewing general cranial characters from the small Oale to the large Oulo, we see with increase of mere size a correspond- ing increment of massiveness; a graduation in obliquity of the plane of the end of the muzzle ; a lengthening and constriction (on the whole) of the rostrum ; an increase of the convexity of the upper profile ; a depression of the zygomata from regular arches to a shape higher behind and more nearly horizontal in continuity; enlargement of paroccipitals and mastoids; con- striction and lateral elongation of the buUse into auditory tubes ; and a flattening and widening behind, and correspond- ing contraction in front of, the brain-box. The dentition shares the general massiveness of the cranium. Compared with those of Miiatelttj the teeth, if not relatively larger, are more swollen and stouter, with bulging sides, blunt points, and dull edges. The back upper molar is placed so far inward, out of line with the rest, that its outer border scarcely projects outside the inner border of the next. It has the same general character as in Mustela. The median constriction is slight, the inner more strongly regularly convex, with raised brim and crescentic ridge inside this ; the outer is double con- vex (convex with an emargination), higher than the other, with an irregularly tuberculous surface. The antero-internal spur of the last premolar is low and little more than a mere heel, scarcely to be called a cusp. Turgidity aside, this tooth other- wise repeats the same in Mustela. The next premolar abuts against the reentrance between the spur and main body of the last ^ne, rather than lies in continuation of the same axis. The foremost preniolar is relatively smaller and more crowded than the same in Mmtela ; it rests directly against the canine, to the inner side of the general axis of dentition. It woald seem that but little more crowding would cause this tooth to perma- nently abort. The great canines are extremely stout at the base, rather blunt, and have a strong forward obliqaity. Of the six upper incisors, the lateral pair are, as nsaal, maeh larger (wider and deeper, though little, if any, longer) than the rest. They are usually found much abraded by rabbing 40 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. m I'll m In a^iiust the under canines. The other incisors are all alike, smaller and evenly set ; all show indication of trilobation, with a large middle and minute lateral lobes, best seen from behind, where, at the point where the teeth flatten toward the tips, ridges divaricate, the termination of these ridges forming the lateral lobes. The inferior incisors are irregularly set, the mid- dle one on each side being crowded back ont of the general plane. The outermost pair are broader than the rest, and seem longer, viewed from the front, since more of the tooth is exposed from the alveolus. The next, partially displaced pair, viewed from the front, seem the smallest of all ; but this is due to their position. Viewed from behind, their size is seen to be much greater than that of the middle pair. All the incisors are obscurely lobate at end. The under canines are shorter, stouter, and more curved than the upper ; most of their surface is stri- ate. The anterior lower premolar, like the same tooth in the upper jaw, is very small, displaced inward, and apposed against the canine. The next premolar is markedly increased in size, and set in the jaw with its longitudinal axis very oblique to the general axis of dentition, as if turned partially around for want of room. The next two premolars are much larger still and massive ; they both show a single central pointed conical cusp, whose sides are bevelled down all around to the rimmed base of the tooth, but there is no indication of the secondary cusp half- way up the back edge of the main cusp, as in Mustela pennanti, martes, americana, and perhaps all of this genus. Similarly, on the great sectorial lower molar, there is no sign of a secondary cusp on the inner face of the main cusp, as is so plainly seen in M. martes, and which also exists in less degree in M. pennanti, americana, and foina. These differences of the two back under premolars and front under molar are, perhaps, the strongest dental peculiarities of Gulo as compared with Mustela. Be- sides this, the two main cusps of the anterior lower premolar are subequal iu size and elevation instead of very unequal, as in Mustela, where the hinder one is much the highest. The posterior tuberculous portion of this tooth is relatively much smaller. As in allied genera, the back lower molar is small, subcircular, tuberculous, not calling for special remark. In a large proportion of the skulls which come to hand, the canines and sectorial '^teeth are found cracked, even split en- tirely in two or broken off, apparently a result of the desperate exertions the captured animals made to free themselves from iron traps. NOMENCLATURE OF GULO LUSCUS. a I appeud measurements of a very large and another rather small American skull, with those of a specimen from Lapland. ileasurements of slculh, European and American. Total len^tb from apes of intermaxillary- to occipital protuberance. Greatest -width (zygomatic) ". Distance between orbits K asal bones, length Upper incisors from front to hinder margin of palate Upper molars and premolars, length taken together Lower molars and premolars, length taken together Lower jaw, length to back of condyle Lower jaw, height of coronoid above condyle Greatest width of palate Least width of skull Intermastoid width Interparoccipltal width Foramen magnum, width AVidth across supraorbital protuberance a 5.50 3.35 1.40 3.80 L65 1.95 3.65 1.70 1.80 1.30 3.00 1.95 0.70 1.75 II. la 3.55 1.45 1.00 3.85 1.65 1.95 3.70 1.65 1.80 1.35 3.20 3.05 0.75 1.75 PS ^ 6.00 3.75 1.50 1.00 a 10 1.75 2.10 4.00 1.85 1.95 1.55 3.50 a. 35 0.80 1.83 NOMENCLATURE OF THE SPECIES — RELATION OF THE EURO- PEAN AND AMERICAN ANIMAL. This animal has received a great variety of names, both tech- uical^and vernacular. Nearly all barbarous tribes of Northern regions in both hemispheres, as well as civilized nations, have each bestowed some appellation ; and in some cases at least the latter have adopted an aboriginal name, with more or less modification, while in all cases the book-names of the species appear to be derived from the vernacular. Thus, " quickhatch " of the English residents of British America is obviously an Anglicism of the Cree or Knisteneaux word, and I agree with Sir.John Bichardson that carcajou of the French Canadians is probably derived from the same source.. I have no idea what the meaning of the more frequent term wolverene may be ; none of its various spellings furnish a clue, beyond the obvious tco\f^ which is however of wholly uncertain applicability here. Oulo, glutton, glouton, are self-explaining, in allusion to the voracity of the animal ; this is also the meaning of the Swed- ish, Bussian, and German names above quoted. Oulo was adopted by Linnseus as the specific name of the European ani- mal, which he placed in the genus Mustela, This author sepa- rated the American as VrsKS luscus — an absurd name indeed. 1 '1 m'Um i 42 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. " Luscus " signifies blind of one eye, mope-eyed ; as is said to have been the unfortunate condition of a specimen imported from Hudson's Bay, some time in possession of Sir Hans Sloane, and described by Edwards, upon whose account Lin- naeus based his Ursus luscus. Linnoeus was frequently capri- cious, and sometimes facetious, in bestowing names; while some of those he gave were wholly inappropriate. Thus the Paradisea apoda ("footless"), the common bird of Paradise, was so called for no other reason than that the skins imported into Europe used to lack the feet, these having been removed in the preparation of the specimens by the natives. This tax- idermal accident not only gave rise to the name, but to the general belief that the bird had no feet, and to various fabu- lous accounts of its habits as a consequence of such condition. It is deplorable that an accidental deformity of one particular individual should be thus perpetuated as the designation of a species ; the more so, as it is the name which, according to strict rules of nomenclature, must prevail. It may, however, be fairly questioned whether it should not be set aside, under the accepted ruling that priority shall not be entitled to prece- dence when the first name involves a palpable error, or is wholly inept, as in the present instance. The specific term gulo being used for the genus, the name borealis would come nest in order, should luscus be ignored on these considerations. The foregoing synonymatic lists show that this species has not escaped subdivisiod into nominal ones, and that varieties have been generally recognized. But the dose similarity of the animals from the two continents did not escape some of the earlier writers, among them even those of slight scientific acquirements or experience. Thus Shaw, in 1800, states of the Wolverene, of which he reproduces Edwards's figure, that " this appears to be no other than a variety " of Ursm gulo. Des- marest allowed varietal distinction from the animal be called 6. arcticus. Guvier endorsed the specific validity which earlier writers had generally admitted ; this error Griffith perpetuated, and, calling one Oulo vulgaris^ the other G. wolverene^ introduced at once two new synonyms. At least, if these names did not originate with him, I have not found them in previous works. A certain " Oulo leucurus Hedenborg", quoted by Gray, I have not had an opportunity of verifying. In the foregoing syn- onymy I separate the American from the Old World quota- tions merely for the convenience of reference, and must not be HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE WOLVERENE. 43 lid to )orted Hans b Lin- capri- while 18 the radise, ported moved ia tax- to the 8 fabu- idition. rticular on of a ding to owever, J, under prece- )r, or is ftc term Id come jrations. cies has jrarleties larity of some of scientific as of the lat " this 0. Des- )e called ih earlier letaated, trodaced } did not as works. ay, I have Ding syn- Id quota- ist not be understood as implying that any distinction, varietal or spe- cific, subsists between the Glutton and the Wolverene. In comparing numerous American skulls with one from Lap- land, I detect in the former a tendency to less constriction of the cranium behind the postorbital processes. This is an in- teresting correlation with one of the more pronounced differ- ences in the skulls of M. martea and M. americana. But th'S is the only discrepancy I find, and it is not, moreover, uni- formly exhibited to any appreciable degree. The identity of the animals of the two continents is to be considered fairly es- tablished, whatever range of variation in size and color either may present. Pallas notes a curious supposed character in urging a criti- cal comparison of the two forms. " Piles Guloni esse trique- tros notavit Baster (Act. Harlemens. vol. xv.) sed hoc an in Americano ? nostra ti pili teretes ", he says, on p. 75 of the " Zoographia ". HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE SPECIES. The written history of the Glutton or Wolverene dates from an early period in the sixteenth century, when the animal is mentioned with little interval of time by several writers in much the same extravagant terms. The first appearance of the ani- mal in literature is said by von Martens to have been in 1532, at the hands of Michow, a physician of Cracow, in the work De Sarmatia Aaiana et Europaa. Olaus Magnus (1562), to whom is commonly attributed the earliest mention, thongh he thus appears to have been anticipated, gives a most extraordinary account, made up of the then current popular traditions and superstitions, and tales of hunters or travellers, unchecked by any proper scientific enquiry; although, to do him justice, he does not entirely credit them himself. We may be sure that such savory morsels of animal biography did not escape the notice of subsequent compilers, and that they lost nothing of their flavor at the hands of the versatile and vivacious Baffon. Endorsed for two centuries by various writers, each more or less authoritative in his own times, and, moreover, appealing strongly to the popular love of the marvellous, the current fables took strong root and grew apace, flourishing like all " ill weeds", and choking sober accounts. Coming down to ns through such a long line of illastrious godfathers, they were treated with the respect generally accorded to long years, and furnished the liiiii I.' I, l:' 'I inn I'' ! mm IHiiii il! !!lJ i-vi!:! 44 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELlDiE. Staple of professedly educational text-books. Probably no youth's early conceptions of the Glutton were uncolored with romance ; the general picture impressed upon the susceptible mind of that period being that of a ravenous monster of insa- tiate voracity, matchless strength, and supernatural cunning, a terror to all other beasts, the bloodthirsty master of the forest. We cannot wonder at the quality of the stream, when we turn to the fountain-head of such gross exaggeration. We find it gravely stated that this brute will feast upon the carcase of some large animal until its belly is swollen as tight as a drum, and then get rid of its burden by squeezing itself between two trees, in order that it may return to glut itself anew — an alleged climax of gluttony to which no four-footed beast attains, and for the parallel of which we must refer to some of the most noted gormandizers of the lioman Empire. We have indeed reliable accounts of such gastronomic exploits, but they are not a part of those records which are generally accepted as zoological. In one of the old zoological works of some celeb- rity, there is a very droll picture of a Wolverene squeezing itself between two trees, with a most anxious expression ef countenance, the fore part of the body being pressed thin, while the hinder is still distended, and the large pile of manure already deposited being rapidly augmented wit ^ further supplies. Still in the track of the marvellous, we rea^.! how the Glutton, too clumsy and tardy of foot to overtake large Ruminants, betakes itself to the trees beneath which they may pass, and there crouches in wait for its victim ; it drops like a shot upon the unsuspecting Elk, Moose, Beindeer, and, fastening with claws and teeth, sucks the blood and destroys them as they run. That nothing may be left undone to ensure success, the animal has the wit to throw down moss or lichens to attract its prey, and to employ the friendly services of Foxes to drive the quarry beneath the fatal spot. I allude to these things, not that such gross exaggerations longer require refutation, but because they are a part, and no inconsiderable one, of the history of the species ; and because, as we shall see in the sequel, a perfectly temperate and truthful narration of the creature's actual habits sufficiently attests the possession of really remarkable qualities, which need be but caricatured for transformation into just such fables. We may remember, also, that the history of the Wol- verene is mixed in some cases with that of other animals, some of whose habits have been attributed to it. Thus Charlevoix HISTORY AND HABITS OP THE WOLVERENE. 45 (Voy. Amer. i, 201) speaks of the "carcajou or quincajou, a kind of cat", evidently, however, having the Cougar {Felis oon- color) in view, as appears from the rest of his remarks. Such habit of lying in wait for their prey is common to the Cougar, Lynx, and other large Cats. Not to prolong this portion of the subject, I may state briefly, that the animal whose characteris- tics will be fully exposed in the course of this article is simply aa uncommonly large, clumsy, shaggy Marten or Weasel, of great strength, without corresponding agility, highly carnivorous, like the rest of its tribe, and displaying great perseverance and sagacity in procuring food in its northern residence when the supply is limited or precarious, often making long uninterrupted journeys, although so short-legged. It is imperfectly planti- grade, and does not climb trees like most of its allies. It lives in dens or burrows, and does not hibernate. It feeds upon the carcases of large animals which it finds already slain, but does not destroy such creatures itself, its ordinary prey being of a much humbler character. It is a notorious thief; not only of stores of meat and fish laid up by the natives of the countries it inhabits, the baits of their traps, and the animals so caught, but also of articles of no possible service to itself; and avoids with most admirable cunning the various methods devised for its destruction in retaliation. All the earlier accounts referred to the animal of Europe and Asia. I have not found the terms " Carcajou " and " Wolverene ", nor any allusion to the American form, until early in the eight- eenth century. La Hontan speaks of it in 1703, likening it to a large fierce Badger ; Lawson has been quoted in this connec- tion, he having attributed to the Lynx some of the fabulous accounts of the Glutton ; but it is evident that his remarks neither apply, nor were intended to apply, to the Wolverene. Catesby speaks of an animal "like a small bear" which exists in the Arctic porto is of America ; this reference is among the earlier ones to the Wolverene, those which confound it with other species being excluded.* We have other definite accounts of the Wolverene, near the middle of the eighteenth century, * The Wolverene has been confused not only \rith the Lynx and Coagar in early times, bnt also qaite recently with the American Badger, Taxidea amerkana. Thus F. Cuvier (Suppl.Baffon,i, 1831,267) treats at length of " Le carcajou, ou Blaireaa Amdricain ", his whole article being based upon the Badger, to which he misconceives the name Carcajoa to belong. Paol Gervais also speaks of the " CarJcajou ou Blaireaa d'Am^rique " (Proc. Verb. Soo. Philom. Paris, 1842, 30). 46 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. as those of Klein, Ellis, Dobbs, Edwards, and BrissoD. Ursus lu80U9 of LinnsBUs arose la a way already narrated, and the species may be considered to have been well known from this period, although it was for a long time very generally supposed to be different from the Glutton of Europe and Asia. The various American biographies of this animal are without exception more or less incomplete and unsatisfactory; even those which are shorn of obvious exaggeration are, in large part, a compilation of earlier statements. They have, however, steadily improved, the latest, that of Audubon and Bachman, being by far the best, although Sir John Richardson's was an excellent contribution. The account which Pennant gave in 1784 ( Arct. Zool. pp. 66-^8) is purged of some of the fables, yet curiously shows how their effects will linger. He scouts the idea of such excessive gluttony as had been attributed, yet relates the moss-throwing story, and represents the Wolverene as " a beast of uncommon fierceness, the terror of the Wolf and Bear ; the former, which will devour any carrion, will not touch the carcase of this animal, which smells more foetid than that of the Pole-cat ". Pennant traces its distribution as far north as Copper Biver, to the countries on the west and south of Hud- son's Bay, Canada, aud tho tract between Lakes Huron and Superior. He gives a fair description, and adds : — '' It hath much the action of a Bear ; not only in the form of its back, and the hanging down of its head, but also in resting on the hind part of the first joint of its legs." " The Kamtschatkans ", he naively continues, " value them so highly as to say, that the heavenly beings wear no other furs." Bichardson gives some interesting particulars, among them none, so far as I am aware, that are not accurate. In a passage he quotes from Graham's MSS., we see a probable basis for the fabulous accounts that the Fox is the Wolverene's provider or abettor in the chase — ^for it is the well-nigh universal rule that fable is founded on facts exaggerated, distorted, or perverted. Alluding to the Wolverene's notorious habit of following Marten roads, Mr. Graham remarks that the animal tears the captured Martens to pieces or buries them at a distance in the snow. '« Drifts of snow often conceal the repositories thus made of the martens from the hunter, in which case they furnish a regale to the hungry fox, whose sagacious nostril guides him unerringly to the spot. Two or three foxes are often seen following the Wolverene for this purpose." Bichardson discredits the accounts which had it !l HISTORY AND HABITS OP THE WOLVERENE. 47 come down from Baffon of the destructiou of Beavers by the Wolverene. *' It must be only in summer, " he says, *' when those industrious animals are at work on land, that it can sur- prise them. An attempt to break open their house in winter, even supposing it possible for the claws of a Wolverene to pene* etrate the thick mud walls when frozen as hard as stone, would only have the effect of driving the beavers into the water to seek- for shelter iu their vaults on the borders of the dam."* Hearne gives a much more credible account of the depre- dations of the Wolverene upon another of the valuable fur- bearing animals of the north— the Fox— during the period of reproduction. Being directed by scent to the burrow of the Fox, which its great strength enables it to enlarge if necessary, it enters and destroys the whole family. In evi- dence of its amazing strength, of that sort most effective in pulling, pushing, and prying, the same author mentions that a Wolverene had been known to upset the greater part of a pile of wood nearly seventy yards around, iu order to get at some provisions which had been deposited in this cache. Audubon's article, although entertaining and accurate, is chiefly a com- pilation from previous accounts, as he appears to have met with the animal iu a state of nature but once, the result of which occurrence is his principal coutributioa to the subject. This was in Rensselaer County, near the banks of the Hoosac River. He tracked a Wolverene iu the snow to its den, which was among rocks, and shot it after prying away some heavy frag- ments. '* There was a large nest of dried leaves in the cavern, which had evidently been a place of resort for the Wolverene during the whole winter, as its tracks from every direction led to the spot. It had laid up no winter store, and evidently depended on its nightly excursions for a supply of food. It had however fared well, for it was very fat." The fur of the Wolverene is highly valued both by civilized and uncivilized people. A number of skins sewn together makes a very beautiful carriage robe or hearth-rug, and the pelts are in common use for these purposes. The Indians and Esqui- * An auonyiqous writer, doabtless Geaeral D. S. Stanley (" D. S. S., Fort Sally, Dakota"; American Naturalist, ii, 1868, p. 215), notes the depredations committed by the Wolverene upon Beaver, in the following terms : — " The wolverene follows the Beaver and preys upon them; in northern latitudes, the wolverene is almost always present where the beaver is abundant. The beaver has a beaten path on the bank of the stream near his lodge. There the wolverene lies iu wait for him, and often cuts short his career." 48 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. manx use the far as they do that of the Wolf, for fringiug their garments, the skin being cut in strips for this purpose. I have already given (p. 2) some statistics of the trade in this kind of pelt, which indicate the comparative standing of the animal among the far-bearing species of this country. The following methods of its capture are taken from Gibson : — * <'The wolverine is a dangerous foe to many animals larger than itself, and by the professional hunter it is looked upon as an ugly and dangerous customer. There are several methods of trapping this horrid creature, and in many localities suc- cessful trapping of other animals will be impossible without first ridding the neighborhood of the wolverines. Dead-falls of large size will be found to work successfully, baiting with the body of some small animal, such as a rat or squirrel. A piece of cat, beaver or muskrat flesh is also excellent, and by slightly scenting with castoreum success will be made sure. Several of these traps may be set at intervals, and a trail made by dragging a piece of smoked beaver meat between them. The gun-trap, . . . will also do good service in exterminating this useless and troublesome animal. Steel traps of size No. 3 or 4 are commonly used to good purpose. ... In all cases the trap should be covered with leaves, moss or the like, and the bait slightly scented with castoreum. Like all voracious ani- mals, the perpetual greed of the wolverine completely over- balances its caution, and thus renders its capture an easy task.^t The Wolverene is an animal of circumpolar distribution in both hemispheres. In North America, it exists in all suitable country north of the United States to the Arctic Goast, and even on some of the islands of the Polar Sea, traces of its presence having been discovered on Melville Island, about latitude 75°. Our notes upon its distribution in this country may relate chiefly to its southern limits. Of an erroneous quo- tation, by which it has been supposed to occur as far south as Carolina, I have already spoken. Its southern limit has been fixed more properly between 42° and 43°; this is probably nearly correct for the eastern portions of the continent, aside from what recession of the species northward may have re- cently occurred, although, as we shall see, the species reaches * Complete American Trapper, [etc.] p. 800. New York. 16mo. 1876. t A statement at variance with the experience of others, as detailed on a following page, from which it would appear that the wary oreatnre is par- tioolarly diflScnlt to entrap. HISTOHY AND HABITS OF THE WOLVERENE. 49 farther south iu the West. lu Massachusetts, accordiuff to Mr. AUeu, it still lingered a few years since, in that portion where the Canadian, as distinguished from the Alleghanian, fauna is represented. But the Massachusetts reports are all probably traceable to a Hoosac Mountain record some years prior. Dr. Hitchcock and Dr. De Kay both quote Dr. Emmons for this, although the species is not given in the latter's report. In New York, it was rare In the time of Audubon and De Kay : the former notes specimens from Rensselaer (1810) and Jeffersou (1827) Gounties. Dr. Z. Thompson, writing in 1833, states that it was then extremely rare in Vermont, none having been met with to his knowledge for several years. Though occasionally found when the country was new in all parts of the State, it was never very plentiful, and for years had been known only in the most wooded and unsettled parts. I have met with but one record of -its presence in the United States from west of New York to the Bocky Mountains, though it is to be pre- sumed that it inhabits, or has lately done so, the wooded por- tions of our northern frontier. Maximilian speaks {I. c.) of the occurrence of the species on the western border of Canada and near the mouth of the Ked River of the North, and surmises that the species may extend to the Missouri River, especially as he saw a skin, but without Indication of locality, at one of the trading posts. I never saw the Wolverene in Dakota or Montana, where most of the country is altogether too open. Baird, however, speaks of its occasional occurrence in the Black Hills, and registers a specimen from '' northwest of Fort Union''* (probably Montana, toward the base of the Rocky Mountains); and Mr. C. H. Merriam (as recorded I s. c.) procured a speci- men on the Yellowstone River, Wyoming, in August, 1872. In the Rocky Mountains, as was to have been expected, its extension southward has been traced to the farthest known point, between 40° and 39'='. Professor Baird notes a specimen obtained by Captain Stansbury from the Great Salt Lake, Utah, which lies wholly south of 'i2°. This individual is still (1877) pre- served, mounted, in the National Museum. It is probable that its extreme limit is even somewhat farther than this, reaching in the mountains to the borders of Arizona and New Mexico and *This locality (Fort Union), frequently mentioned in tlie works of Au- dnbon, Baird, and others, no longer exists as such, being now a heap of rab- bish. It is replaced by Fort Buford, commanding the mouth of the Yellow- stone, at the extreme southwest corner of Dakota, adjoining the southeast corner of Montana. 4m 50 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. corresponding latitudes in Galilornia. Of this, I was assured by hunters whose statements i had no reason to doubt, and who were evidently acquainted with the species. But I could not confirm their statements by actual observation, and, for all that is positively known, the Salt Lake record remains the southernmost, excepting that very recently furnished by Mr. Allen (op. cit). He saw the skin of aa individual taken in the vicinity of Montgomery, Colo., near the limit of timber, and the animal was stated to be not uncommon. This locality is somewhat south of 40<^, and the occurrence is strongly corroborative of the accounts I received, as just mentioned. I have myself lately seen a mounted specimen among a collec- tion of animals made by Mrs. M. A. Maxwell, in the vicinity of Boulder, Colo. I have no record fi*om the region west of the main chain of the Bockies in Oregon or Washington Territory, although it is not to be presumed, upon this negative evidence, that the species does not occur there. The Wolverene ranges, as we have seen, in greater or less abundance, all over the northern portions of this country. It appears to be particularly numerous in the Mackenzie Biver region, and it fairly infests the whole country bordering the lower portions of this river and the west side of the mountains. From this country, many accounts have reached me, from vari- our ofScers of the Hudson's Bay Company, through the liber- ality of the Smithsonian Institution, which placed in my hands all the matter represented in its archives upon the mammals of the far north. These manuscripts witness the wonderful cun- ning and sagacity of the beast, as well as its ferocity, and repre- sent it to be the greatest enemy with which the hunters and trappers have to contend in the pursuit of fur-bearing animals. Messrs. Kennicott, Macfarlane, Ross, and Lockhart have each recorded their experiences, which together afford the material for a comple' '^ biography. The hunter, says Mr. Lockhart, may safely leave an animal he has killed for one night, but never for a second time, with- out placing it in a strong cache of logs. The first night the Wolverene is pretty sure to visit the place, but will touch nothing. The next night he is certain to return, and, if he can possibly get at the meat, he will gorge himself, and then make away with the rest, which he cunningly hides, piece by piece, under the snow, in different directions. At' every cAiOhe he makes he voids his urine or drops his dirt, probably to prevent HISTORY AND HABITS OP THE WOLVERENE. 51 assured ibt, and 1 1 could and, for ains the I by Mr. taken in [ timber^ ) locality strongly entioned. ; a collec- B vicinity est of the Eerritory, evidence, er or less untry. It izie Eiver lering the lountains. from vari- the liber- my hands lammals of lerful oun- and repre- anters and ig animals, have each le material an animal time, with- t night the will touch d, if he can then make )e by piece, y cAohe he to prevent Foxes, Martens, or other animals from smelling the hidden meat and digging it up. Gd,ches must be made of green wood, and be exceedingly strong, or the animal will certainly break into them. He has been known to gnaw through a log nearly a foot iu diameter, and also to dig a hole several feet deep in frozen ground, to gain access to the coveted supply. Should he succeed in gaining entrance for himself, and yet be unable to displace the logs sufficiently to permit of removal of the meat, the brute will make water and dirt all over it, rendering it wholly unfit to be used; even a dog will then scarcely touch it. To the trapper, the Wolverenes are equally annoying. When they have discovered a line of Marten traps, they will never abandon the road, and must be killed before the trapping can be successfully carried on. Beginning at one end, they proceed from trap to trap along the whole line, pulling them success- ively to pieces, and taking out the baits from behind. When they can eat no more, they continue to steal the baits and cache them. If hungry, they may devour two or three of the Martens they find captured, the remainder being carried off and hidden in the snow at a considerable distance. The work of demoli- tion goes on as fast as the traps can be renewed. The propensity ic tteal and hide things is one of the strongest traits of the Wolverene. To such an extent is it developed that the animal will often secrete articles of no possible use to itself. Besides the wanton destruction of Marten traps, it will carry off the sticks and hide them at a distance, apparently iu sheer malice. Mr. Boss, in the article above quoted, has given an amusing instance of the extreme of this propensity: — "The desire for accumulating property seems so deeply implanted iu this animal, that like tame ravens, it does not appear to care much what it steals so that it can exercise its favorite propen- sity to commit mischief. An instance occurred within my own knowledge in which a hunter and his family having left their lodge unguarded during their absence, on their return found it completely gntted — the walls were there but nothing else. Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, cans, knives and all the other paraphernalia of a trapper's tent had vanished, and the tracks left by the beast showed who had been the thief. The family set to work, and by carefully following up- all his paths recov- ered, with some trifling exceptions, the whole of the lost prop- erty." Though very clumsy animals, the Wolverenes manage to cap- 62 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELIDiE. i tare, at times, such prey as Hares or Grouse, and chey successfully attack disabled Deer. We have already seea how they destroy Foxes in their burrows; and they are usually found in excel- lent condition. They also feed on offal or carrion ; in fact, any- thing that they can catch or steal. Their own flesh is only eatable in the extreme of starvation. They bring forth in bur- rows under ground, probably old Bear washes, and have four or five young at a birth. It is very rarely that they are discov- ered at this period or whilst suckling their young. One rea- son, however, may be that they reproduce late in June and early in July, when the mosquitoes are so numerous that no one who can avoid it goes abroad in the woods. The rutting season is in the latter part of March. The female is ferocious in the defense of her young, and if disturbed at this time will not hesitate to attack a man. Indeed, Indians have been heard to aver that they would sooner encounter a she-bear with her cubs than a Carcajou under the same circumstances. In Octo- ber, when the rivers set fast, the Wolverenes reappear in fam- ilies, the young still following their dam, though now not much her inferior in size. They are full grown when about a year old. In early infancy, the cubs are said to be of a pale cream color. lue Wolverene may be captured in wooden traps similar to those used for Martens, but of course made on a much larger scale, as the animal's strength is enormous, even for its size. The traps are sometimes built with two doors. But so great is the cunning and sagacity of the beast, that the contrivance for its destruction must be very perfect. The traps are covered up with pine-brush, and made to resemble a cS^che as much as possible I the Wolverene is then likely to break in and get caught. Tb" bait, ordinarily the conspicuous feature of a trap, must in this instance be concealed, or the animal will either break in from behind, or, failing in this,^will pass on his way. It is sometimes also taken in steel traps, or by means of a set gun ; but both these methods are uncertain, great " medicine " being required to outwit the knowing and suspicious beast. The eyesight of the Wolverene is not very bright, but his sense of smell is extremely acute. << The winter I passed at Fort Simpson", writes Mr. Look- hart, '* I had a line of Marten and Fox traps, and Lynx snares, e7<- .^Jing as far as Lac de Brochet. Visiting them on one occasion I found a Lynx alive in one of my snares ; and being HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE WOLVERENE. 53 indisposed to carry it so far home, determined to kill and skin it before it should freeze. But how to c^che the skin till my retaru ? This was a serious question, for Carcajou tracks were numerous. Placing the carcase as a decoy in a clump of willows at one side of the path, I went some distance on the opposite side, dug a hole with my snow-shoe about three feet deep in the snow, packed the skin in the smallest possible compass, and put it in the bottom of the hole, which I filled up again very carefully, packing the snow down hard, anfl then strewing loose snow over the surface till the spot looked as if it had never been disturbed. I also strewed blood and entrails in the path and around the willows. Returning next morning, I found that the carcase was gone, as I expected it would be, but that the place where the skin was cached was apparently undis- turbed. 'Ah I you rascal,' said I, addressing aloud the absent Carcajou, * I have outwitted you for once.' I lighted my pipe, and proceeded leisurely to dig up the skin to place in my muski- moot. I went clear down to the ground, on this side and on that, but no Lynx skin was there. The Carcajou had been before me, and had carried it off along with the carcase ; but he had taken the pains to fill up the hole again and make every- thing as smooth as before ! "At Peel's River, on one occasion, a very old Carcajou dis- covered my Marten road, on which I had nearly a hundred and fifty traps. I was in the habit of visiting the line about once a fortnight ; but the beast fell into the way of coming oftener than I did, to my great annoyance and vexation. I determined to put a stop to his thieving and his life together, cost what it might. So I made six strong traps at as many different points, and also set three steel traps. For three weeks I tried my best to catch the beast without success ; and my worst enemy would allow that I am no green hand in these matters. The animal carefully avoided the traps set for his own benefit, and seemed to be taking more delight than ever in demolishing my Marten traps and eating the Martens, scattering the poles in every direction, and cAching what baits or Martens he did not devour on the spot. As we had no poison in those days, I next set a gun on the bank of a little lake. The gun was concealed in some low bushes, but the bait was so placed that the Carciyon must see it on his way up the bank. I blockaded my path to the gun with a small pine tree which completely hid it. On my first visit afterward I found that the beast had gone up to 54 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. the bait and stnelled it, but had left it untouched. He had next palled up the pine tree that blocked the path, and gone around the gun and cut the line which connected the bait with the trigger, just behind the muzzle. Then he had gone back and pulled the bait away, and carried it out on the lake, where he laid down and devoured it at his leisure. There I found my string. I could scarcely believe that all this had been done designedly, for it seemed that faculties fully on a par with human reason would be required for such an exploit, if done intention- ally. I therefore rearranged things, tying the string where it had been bitten. But the result was exactly the same for three successive occasions, as I could plainly see by the footprints ; and what is most singular of all, each time the brute was care- ful to cut the line a little back of where it had been tied before, as if actually reasoning with himself that even the knots might be some new device of mine, and therefore a source of hidden danger he would prudently avoid. I came to the con- clusion that that Carcajou ought to live, as he must be something at least human, if not worse. I gave it up, and abandoned the road for a period. »'On another occasion a Carcajou amused himself, much as usual, by tracking my line from one end to the other and de- molishing my traps, ^ fast as I could set them. I put a large steel trap in the middle of a' path that branched ofif among some willows, spreading no bait, but risking the chance that the animal would ' put his foot in it' on his way to break a trap at the end of the path. On my next visit I found that the trap was gone, but I noticed the blood and entrails of a hare that had evidently been caught in the trap and devoured by the Carcajou on the spot. Examining his footprints I was satisfied that he had not been caught, and I took up his trail. Proceed- ing about a mile through the woods I came to a small lake, on thti banks of which I recognized traces of the trap, which the beast had laid down in order to go a few steps to one side to make water on a stump. He had then returned and picked up the trap, which he had carried across the lake, with many a twist and turn on the hard crust of snow to mislead his ex- pected pursuer, and then again entered the woods. I followed for about half a mile farther and then came to a large hole dug in the snow. This place, however, seemed not to have suited him, for there was nothing there. A few yards forther on, however, I found a neatly built mound of snow on which the HI8T0BY AND HABITS OF THE WOLVERENE. 55 animal had made water and left his dirt ; this I knew was his •cache. Using one of my snowshoes for a spade I dug into the hillock and down to the ground, the snow being about four feet deep ; and there I found my trap, with the toes of a rabbit still in the jaws. Gould it have been the animal's instinctive im- pulse to hide prey that made him carry my trap so far merely for the morsel ot meat still held in it ? Or did his cunning nature prompt him to hide the trap for fear that on some future unlucky occasion he might put his own toes in it and share the rabbit's fate ? " This propensity of the Wolverene to carry off traps receives confirmation from other sources. In Captain Cartwright's Journal (ii, 407), a similar instance is recorded in the follow- ing terms : — " lo coming to the foot of Table Hill I crossed the track of a Wolvering with one of Mr. Gallingham's traps on his foot : the foxes had followed his bleeding track. As this beast went through the thick of the woods, under the north side of the hill, where the snow was so deep and light that it was with the greatest difficulty I could follow him even on In- dian rackets, I was quite puzzled to know how he had con- trived to prevent the trap from catching hold of the branches of trees or sinking in the snow. Biit on coming up with him I discovered how he had managed : for after making an attempt to fly at me, he took the trap ifi his mouth and ran upon three legs. These creatures are surprisingly strong in proportion to their size ; this one weighed only twenty-six pounds and the trap eight ; yet including all the turns he had taken he had carried it six miles." The ferocity of the Wolverene, no less than its cunning, is illustrated in some of the endless occasions on which it matches its powers against those of its worst enemy. A man bad set a gun for a Carcajou which had been on his usual round of dem- olition of Marten traps. The animal seized tUe bait unwarily, and set off the gun ; but owing to careless or improper setting, the charge missed or only wounded it. The Carcajou rushed upon the weapon, tore it from its fastenings, and chewed the stock to pieces. It is added to the account of this exploit that the beast finished by planting the barrel muzzle downward up- right in the snow ; but this may not be fully credited. The stories that pass current among trappers in the North would alone fill a volume, and they are quite a match for those that -Olaus Magnus set down in his book centuries ago. How much 56 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELIDiE. wiser are we in our generatioD ? Is there anything new under the sun f But we need not go beyond the strict fact to be impressed with the extraordinary wit of the beast, whom all concur in conceding to be " as cunning as the very devil ", With so much for the tricks and the manners of the beast behind our backs, roaming at will in his vast solitudes, what of his actions in the presence of man ? It is said that if one only stands still, even in full view of an approaching Carcajou, he will come within fifty or sixty yards, provided he be to wind- ward, before he takes the alarm. Even then, if he be not warned by sense of smell, he seems in doubt, and will gaze earnestly several times before he finally concludes to take him- self off. On these and similar occasions he has a singular habit — one not shared, so far as I am aware, by any other beast whatever. He sits on his haunches and shades his eyes with one of his fore paws, just as a human being would do in scruti- nizing a dim or distant object. The Carcajou then, in addition to his other and varied accomplishments, is a perfect skeptic — to use this word in its original signification. A skeptic, with the Greeks, was simply one who would shade his eyes to see more clearly. To this day, in sign-language among some of the Korth American Indians, placing the hand to the forehead sig- nifies *' white man " — either in allusion to this habit, or to the shade given the eyes by the straight vizor of the military cap, which the Indians see oftener than they desire. Mr. Lockhart writes that he has twice been eye-witness of this carious habit of the Wolverene. Once, as he was drifting down stream in a small canoe, he came within a short distance of one of the ani- mals on the bank; it stopped on perceiving him, squatted on its haunches, and peered earnestly at the advancing boat, hold- ing one fore paw over its eyes in the manner described. Not seeming to take alarm, it proceeded on a few paces, and then stopped to repeat the performance, when Mr. Lockhart, now sufficiently near, fired and killed the beast. On another occa- sion, when the same gentleman was crossing the Rocky Mount- ains, a Wolverene, which had become alarmed and was making off, stopped frequently and put up his paw in the same manner, in order to see more clearly the nature of that which had dis- turbed him. On other occasions, the Wolverene displays more boldness than this in the presence of man. It has been known to seize upon the carcase of a deer, and suffer itself to be shot rather ITS DISTRIBUTION IN THE OLD WORLD. 57 than relinquish possession, though the hunter had approached within twenty yards of his game. When pressed by the pangs of hunger, still bolder exploits are sometimes performed, as in the instance narrated by Capt. J. G. Ross. In the dead of an Arctic winter, his ship's company were surprised by a visit from a Wolverene, which clambered over the snow wall sur- rounding the vessel, and came boldly on deck among the men. Forgetful of its safety in the extremity of its need for food, the animal seized a canister of meat, and suffered himself to be noosed while eating. DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES IN THE OLD WORLD. This portion of the subject is translated from J. F. Brandt's elaborate article.* According to Georgi {I. s. c. [i. e. Geogr. Phys. Beschr. 1786] p. 1547), the Glutton is found in the temperate, and particu- larly in the cold regions of Eussia and Siberia ; that is to say, from Lithuania and Gurland, where, however, it is rare, to Finland, Kola, Archangel, Wologda, Perm; and in Siberia, from the mountains which bound this country (the Altalt, the Sajan, and Danrian Alps, the Stannovoi, &c.), to the Arctic Tandras. Brincken (Mem. sur la For^t de Bidlowicza, p. 45) speaks of Gluttons in the forest of Bidlowicza. Eichwald, however, two years later (1830), states that formerly they were only found in some few forests of Podolia and Pinsk (Skizze, p. 237). In 1791, Fischer says (Naturgesch. von Livland, Livonia, 2d edition, p. 141) that the Glutton was already rare in Livonia, though still common in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Lapland, as well as in Gurland; though in Derschau and von Keyserling's description of the Province of Gur- land, published as early as 1805, the Glutton is not mentioned among the animals of Gurland, and it is likewise wanting in Lichtenstein's Gatalogue of the Mammals of Gurland, published in 1829 (Bull. Nat. Hist. Moscon). Kessler only mentions the Glutton incidentally, stating that there were reports of its casual appearance, and that a specimen was once captured, though giving no particulars. According to Rczaczynski (Auctuar. Hist. Nat. p. 311), two Glut- tons were killed in Podolia at the beginning of the last century. It is, therefore, unquestionable thai the Glutton * Bemerknngeu Uber die Wirbelthiere des Qordlichen enropaiscben Rnss- lauds, besonders dea nordlicben Ural's. Ein Beitrag zar naheren zoolo- gisch-geograpbiscboD Kenntniss Nordost-Europa'a. 58 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID^. was occasionally fouud iu Gurland, LitkuaDia, and Fodolia during the last century, but that it no longer extends so far westward and southward, so that we may rely, concern- ing its appearance in Bussia, upon the statement of Pallas (Zoiig. B.-A. i. p. 74) that the animal was seldom found in European Bussia, except in the northerly forests, though com- mon in Siberia. In East Siberia, Sarytschew (Beise, i. p. 77) discovered it on the middle portions of the Indigirka. Wran - gel (Beise, ii. pp. 274, 238) indicates the occurrence of the Glut- ton in Werchojansk and the country of the Tschukts. G e b 1 e r (Uebersicht d. Katuuischen Geb. p. 84) calls Gulo borealis a solitary inhabitant of the Altai forests, and we once received from him a specimen from the Altai region. According to vo n Middendorff, the Glutton is also found on the Boganida Biver, whence it makes excursions to the Tundra, to plunder the traps set for the Yulpeslagopus. It was lately observed by Wosnessenski in Kamtschatka, where it was more nu- merous in northern than iu southern portions. There, particu- larly in the Anadyr regions, it is said to inhabit the Tundras rather than the forests Georgi (7. o.) designates the Ural in general, Lehman n (Brandt in Lehmaun's Beise Zoolog. Append, p. 301) and Eversmanu, probably more rightly, only the middle and northerly Ural as its habitat. According to Hoffmann's verbal communications, the ani- mal is to be found in the northerly IJral, at least as far as forests exist, as before indicated by Georgi, and seems to be not rare there, for a skin costs but three silver roubles, and the Samojeds are in the habit of trimming their garments with the fur. Ermann (Beise, i. 1, p. 562) states that the Glutton occurs on the Obi Biver. Schrenck (Beise, i. pp. 10, 66, 97) reports that it is found in the forests of the District of Mesen, particularly on the Pinega Biver, and sometimes on Onega Lake. The government of Wologda annually delivers 300 to 500 Glutton skins (von Baer and Helmersen, Beitrage, vii. p. 251). I do not recall, after more than twenty years' experi- ence in the government of St. Petersburg, a single instance of a Glutton's having been captured there. Wallenius (Fauna Fenn. p. 11, and Forteckning iifver Sallsk. Samlingar, p. 7) cites the Glutton as inhabiting the Finnish provinces of Tawastland and Osterbotten. We may safely fix its present distribution in the Bnssian possessions from Finland and Bussian Lapland (?) to Kamtschatka, and from the middle Ural and Altai to the northerly Tundra. CHAPTER III. MUSTELINE— Continued : The Martens. The genus Muaiela — Generic characters, &c.— Analysis of North Amerioan species — Mmtela pennanti, the Pekan or Pennant's Marten — Synonymy — Habitat — Specific characters— Description of external characters — Diuien- sions— Sknll and vertebrte— General history, habits, and geographical dis- tribution — Interpolated matter relating to e::otic species of Miutela — M. martes — Synonymy — Description of its skull and teeth — M. foina — Syn- onymy — ^Notes on its characters — M. zihelUiia — Synonymy — Measurements of skulls of the three species— Comparative diagnoses of M. martea, americana, ani foina — Mxstela americaHa, the American Sable or Marten — Synonymy — Description and discussion of the species — Table of measure- ments — Geographical variation in the skull — General history and habits of the species. IN this chapter are treated the genus Mustela and the two species by which it is represented in North America. Sev- eral closely allied species of the Old World are also introduced, as seemed to be required for the adequate discussion of their intimate relationships. The Genus MUSTELA. (Linn., 1758, emend.) < MllstelSt Linn. Syst. Nat. i. lOtb ed. 1738, and of many authors. < Tiverra, Shaw, 6en. Zool. i. 1800; not of antliors. <6h10, H. Smith, (fide Gray); not of Storr. =1inTttii, Authors, attet Bay. >.PelC»lli«, J. K Oray, Profl. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1865, 107. (type M. pennanti.) > FolBSt J. E. Oray, Proo. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1865, 107. (Type if. martet var. fagorum.) > OharronlSt /. E. Oray, Proc. ZooL Soc. 1865, 108. (Type M. Jlavigxiia Bodd.) 1-1 > P™'4_4> 1-1 a-2 ~- Generic cbahb.— Dental formula : i. ^^3 ; c. {-^rt 5 P™- Jtrf ; n> j^ = 38 (as in Oulo ; one more premolar,* above and below, on each side, than in Puioriiia). Sectorial tooth of lower jaw usually with an internal cusp. Anteorbital foramen presenting vertically or somewhat downward as well as forward (as in Putorim ; reverse of Crulo) ; canal-like, opening over interspace between last and penultimate premolars (as in Gulo ; the open- ing is over the last premolar in P\dor\\i9). Skull much constricted at the middle, the rostral portion relatively longer, more tapering than in Oulo or *' As a not infrequent anomaly, the small anterior premolar which consti- tutes the Increment in the dental formula as compared with that of PvLtorim fails to develop. Thns it is wanting on the right side above in a skull, No. 7159, from Fort Good Hope, though present on the left side and on both sides below. Similarly, an incisor occasionally aborts. 59 60 NORTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.E. Ptttoriua, and mach more obliquely truncated than in Putoriuf, less so thaa in Gulo ; frontal profile more or less concave. Nasal bones narrower in the middle than at either end. General upper outline of sknll moderately arched. Production of mastoids and auditory bullie and general prominence of periotio region intermediate between Gulo and Putoriut. Zygomatic arch high behind (usaally higher than in front) ; nowhere vertical, nor developing a posterior convexity. Depth of emarginatiou of palate greater than dis* tance thence to the molarH. Skull as a whole less massive than in either Oulo or PutoriM. Vertebral formula. — According to Gerrard, the vertebrie of M. maries, type of the genus, is c. 7, d. 16, 1. 6, s. :i, cd. 18 or 19 ; other species of the genus differ in the number of caudals. Size medium and large for this subfamily. Form moderately stout ; claws strong, curved, acute. Tail longer than the bead, bushy, cylindrical or taper- ing. Soles densely furry, with naked pads. Pelage long and soft, but not shaggy ; whole-colored, or nearly so, never whitening in winter. Progression digitigrade. Habits highly arboreal as well as terrestrial ; not aquatic. This genus forms the liuk between Oulo and PutoriuSj as will be evident upon comparison of the diagnoses of the three. The skull, however, is lighter than io either of the two other genera of Mmtelinee^ with more produced and tapering rostrum ; in height, relative to length or breadth, it is intermediate. The species have a somewhat Fox-like or Catlike superficial aspect, rather than that appearance we usually associate with the name of " WeaseF, being much stouter-bodied, more copiously haired, and busiiier-tailed ; one species, indeed, is commonly called black " fox " or black " cat ". They appear to be more decid- edly arboreal than the Weasels, spending much of their time in trees, and are not aquatic, like several of the Weasels proper. They are agile and graceful in their movements ; and, if not really more active than the Weasels, their actions seem to possess a quality of lightness and elasticity di£ferent from the writhing and insinuative motions of the very slender-bodied, short-legged Weasels. Although strictly carnivorous, predacious, and de- structive to many kinds of small Mammals and Birds, they, appear less ferocious and bloodthirsty than the Weasels, whose sanguinary impulses seem insatiable ; and at times they exhibit a playful and comparatively amiable disposition. The name of the genus is the Latin mustela or mustellaj a kind of Weasel ; the word being apparently derived from, or related to, the more general term mus.* Its adjectival deriva- * This seems to have included, besides Mice, various kinds of small de- atmotive animals, such as now might be collectively referred to as " vermin". Thus, mu$ pontieue is supposed to have probably been an Ermine. The word may be simply a long form of mus, like maxilla or axilla from mala and ala. THE OENUH MUSTELA. 61 tive, mii8telinu8, refers primarily to geueral Weasel-like quali- ties ; secondarily, to the peculiar tawny color of most species of Weasels in summer, and is transferable to other animals, just as "foxy*^ signifies the peculinr red of the Oommon Fox. For an example, familiar to ornithologists, the "tawny" thrush of Wilson, Turdiia " muatelintis ", may be cited. This genus comprises the Martens and Sables, of which there are several species, inhabiting the northern portions of both Old and New Worlds, and particularly abundant in the higher latitudes. Aside from the very distinct Fisher, or Pekan, Mua- tela pennantif peculiar to North America, the species are so closely related that some authors have contended for their identity. There appear, however, to be good grounds upon which at least three if not four species may be established ; one confined to America, the rest belonging to the Old World. The high commercial value of the pelts of these animals, and their corresponding economic importance, has sharpened the eyes of those pecuniarily interested to such degree that nu- merous kinds of "sable" and "marten" are recognized by the furriers; and the caprices of imperious fashion set a wholly fictitious value upon slight shades of color or other variable conditions of pelage, which have no zoological significance whatever. The Sable par excellence is the Russian and Asiatic animal, Muatela zibellina, a variety of the common European Marten, M. martes, or a closely allied species; but, as all Sables are Martens, it is perfectly proper to speak of our species, M. nmericanttf as the American Sable or Marten. Some of its for- taitous conditions of pelage — the darker shades — represent the " sable " of furriers, while in the ordinary coloration it may be called by another name. The meanings of the various terms employed to designate animals of this genus are more fully discussed elsewhere, under beads of the several species. The two North American species of Mustela may be readily distinguished by the following characters : — Analysis of the North American species of Mustela. Larger : length two feet or more ; tail a foot or more, the rertebree about half the length of head and body, tapering from base to point. Ears low, wide, Bemicironlar. Blackish ; lighter on fore upper parts and head ; darkest below ; no light throat-patch M. pennanH. Smaller : length nnder two feet ; tail less than a foot long, the vertebrse less than half the length of the body, uniformly bushy. Ears high, sabtrian- gular. Brown, &c.; not darker below than above ; usually a large yellow- ish or tawny throat-patch M. anurieana. 62 NOBTH AMERICAN MUSTELID.f:. The Pekan, or Peniinnt*fi Marten. nvBtela pcnnantl. ;Platb II. Mmtela peBMBlll, Era. Syst. An. 1777, 470, oo. lO (baHeil on the FUher of Pmnant: for diMnMion of nam*, In question of priority over eanadenii* Scbrebor, of. Bd. op. it^frik nt. p. ISl).— Zimm. Oeogr. Oesch. 11. 1760, 310, no. 906.— J. 8ah. Frank. Joam. 1883, 09l.-Gfri/. CaT. R. A. ▼. 18S7, lOS, no. 354.-I>M«. Man. 1837, ISO, no. 405— IVieA. Syn. Mam. 1889, 817.— Oodm. Am. N. H. 1. 1931, 303.— Bd. M. N. A. 18S7, )49, pi. 36, f. 1.— y«wb. P. R. R. Rep. tI. mil, 4l.-Ooop. <« SueU. N. H. W. T. 18W, 9i, 114.— Aow, ' Canid. Nat. ▼!. 1861, U.—OUpin, Tr. Not. Soot. Iniit. 11. 1870, 9, M.—AU. Ball. M. C. Z. 1. 1869, 161 Mass. 1840, 3B.—Wagn. Sappl. Sobreb. 11. 1841, 9313.— D* Kay, N. T. Zo8t. 1. 1848, 31, pi. 13, f. 1 (akolD.-Aud.