Pennant, in his Arctic Zoology, believed them to be identical, but in the History of
Quadrupeds, they are treated as varieties of the same species ; in this also
Buffon agreed, describing the American animal under the name of Carcajou. They
were first considered as distinct by Schreiber, whose opinion was adopted by Gmelin.
In Buffon’s account of the animal, it is represented as having four toes only on its
fore feet, whence originated the erroneous specific character given by Gmelin of
“ Palmis tetradactylis.” The descriptions of the several authors are very incorrect.
The best method of making the American Badger more properly known as a separate
species, will be by an enumeration of the differences between the two.
The American Badger is generally less in size and of lighter make; the head
though equally long, is not so sharp towards the nose, and the markings are remarkably
different; a narrow white line runs from between the eyes towards the back, the rest
of the upper part of the head is brown, the throat and whole under-jaw are white,
the cheeks are partly so ; a semicircular brown spot is placed between the light part
of the cheeks and the ears ; the white marking extends in a triangular form a little
above the eyes, and below the eyes in a line towards the fore part of the mouth, but
the whole eye lies within the dark colour of the upper part of the head, which colour
runs with a sharp angle at the corner of the eye into the white. The European Badger
has three broad white marks; one on the top of the head and one on each side, and
between them are two broad black lines which include the eyes and ears ; and the whole
under parts of the throat and jaw are black. The upper parts of the body and sides
in the American animal are covered with rather long fine greyish hairs, which in the
other are darker, coarser and longer; the under parts in the former are lighter than the
upper, in the latter they are darker; the legs in the first are dark brown and in the
other quite black ; and though the animal is of larger size generally, its nails, which
are dark, are smaller than the light horn-coloured nails of the American species, and
finally, the tail of the European Badger is longer than that of the American. The
specimen received measures two feet five inches in length, including the tail which is
three inches long. The animal is abundant in parts of the interior of North America,
inhabiting holes in the earth, and having similar habits to its European congener.
A few skins of it are annually imported from Hudson’s Bay.
Gulo Luscus. Wolverene.
The Wolverene, or Quick-Hatch, is a general inhabitant of the northern parts of
America, as far as the Arctic Sea, and from a skull found in Melville Island, appears
to extend its visits beyond the continent towards the pole. Its skin is an object of
trade, and forms part of the annual consignments from Hudson’s Bay. The animal
is well known to naturalists, who first became acquainted with it from the figure and
description of Edwards. Two specimens were sent home by the Expedition; one
being much darker than the other, the band of lighter hairs which passes along the
sides and on the back of the animal near its tail, being very obscure; the other
specimen, in which this marking is distinct, accords with the skin received from the
Hudson’s Bay Company.
Mustela Maries. . Pine Marten.
The Pine Marten is every where abundant in the pine forests. Numbers of the
skins (in the last year near 60,000) are annually imported by the Hudson’s Bay
Company, the fur being held in much estimation. The animal is sufficiently described
by all the writers on Natural History, being distinguished by the yellow or orange
colour of its throat from the Common Marten, (Mustela Foina) which is marked
similarly with white. The Common Marten inhabits the more temperate parts of
Europe, whilst the Pine Marten is confined to the northern regions, though it is equally
found in Europe and Asia as well as America. The two animals are very similar,
and it may be reasonably doubted whether they be not the same species. Considerable
difference is observable in the sizes of the two sexes of the Pine Marten, the .male
being largest by full one third. The winter state of the animal is that in which it
is most known both to naturalists and traders ; in the summer, in common with the
other quadrupeds of Hudson’s Bay, it loses the delicate fineness and brilliancy of its
fur, which becomes generally paler, especially about the head and the yellow marks
on the throat ceasing to be distinct from the rest of the body, become a dingy white
running into and blended with the lighter brown of the neighbouring parts.
Mustela Pennanti. Fisher.
Strange confusion has existed both as to the name and habits of the Fisher. It is
said by Pennant, to be called Wejack ; Hearne notices the animal of that name and
the Shunk together, rather confusedly. Gmelin referred the Fisher of Pennant, the
first writer by whom it was described, to the Sable, (Mustela Zibellina) from which it
is distinguished, however, by its longer tapering tail, and by having its chin equally
dark with the rest of its body, 1 neither white nor cinereous. Erxleben called it
M. Pennanti, and as this was its first specific appellation, it ought to be adopted
generally, in preference to M. Pisc&tor, which though corresponding with its English
name, is not appropriate, since it does not feed on fish, but pursues the same
prey as the Pine Marten. The following description is from two specimens, one
sent home by Captain Franklin, the other belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company.;
both are imperfect, the former being without feet, and the latter, like all hunters’
skins, mutilated in the legs and face. Length varying from twenty-four to thirty
inches, exclusive of the tail, which is from thirteen to fifteen inches long. The nose
•is sharp, and the fur near it brown ; the whole of the fur on the upper part of the
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