Mme. J. Power on the Habits of the common Marten. 41 7 



reduce the farmer's wife to despair, for the passage of the Marten 

 is always indicated by ravages in the pigeon-house and poultry- 

 yard. It almost always escapes the traps which are laid for it, 

 and all the precautions employed to protect the poultry-yard 

 from its attacks. Nor does it find much sympathy amongst 

 sportsmen, who regard it as a formidable rival. 



It generally feeds upon small birds and quadrupeds, causing 

 an immense destruction of young partridges, leverets, young 

 rabbits, and other small game. It eats dry fruits, almonds, 

 walnuts, nuts, tigs and grapes. 



Wishing to study the habits of these little animals, and to 

 ascertain the extent of instinct with which they might be en- 

 dowed, I succeeded in obtaining a pair, male and female, which 

 were caught, at the age of about three or four months, in the 

 forests of Mount Etna. 



My observations soon showed me that the Marten is a very 

 interesting animal, in respect of the perfection of its instinct ; 

 one might say that it possesses a consciousness of what it does. 



To tame my Martens, I began by giving them their food with 

 my own hands, three times a day regularly. Their food con- 

 sisted of beef. At first they were rather wild; but with per- 

 severance and care, I succeeded in overcoming their wildness ; 

 they formed a great friendship for me, and began to mount upon 

 my knees and to lick my hands ; they followed me all over the 

 house, and at last they were almost always close to me. 



When I went out, I shut them up in a little room ; on my 

 return, they came to me with a sad aspect, listened to me, and 

 gave me to understand how weary they had been of my absence. 

 I would take them upon my knees and caress them ; my caresses 

 brought them to a good humour, when they would leap upon 

 the chairs and tables, or whatever was within their reach. 



To make a slight trial of their natural forest instinct, I had a 

 tree brought into my antechamber ; hardly had it been placed 

 there, when my Martens climbed to the top of it ; but on seeing 

 me return to my room, they descended from the tree in order to 

 follow me. They slept upon the tree, and almost always with 

 the head bent down. If I shut them up in my antechamber, 

 they gnawed at the door, and cried with all the force of their 

 little lungs ; I was then obliged to yield and open the door for 

 them. 



When I was dressing for the evening, or undressing to go 

 to bed, the Martens introduced themselves gently between the 

 mattresses of my bed, with the view of keeping me company 

 and passing the night with me, which did not suit me at all. 



Shortly after I obtained my Martens, the mice which we had 

 in the house disappeared; but I never observed that they caught 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol xx. 27 



