106 The Irish Naturalist. 



NOTES ON OCCURRENCES OF THE MARTEN 

 (MARTES SYLVATICA) IN ULSTER. 



BY ROBERT PATTERSON, F.Z.S. 



Up to the year 1879 two species of Marten were supposed 

 to inhabit the British Islands, the Pine Marten and the Beech 

 Marten. The chief external difference was in the breast-spot ; 

 in the Pine Marten it was yellow or cream-colour ; in the Beech 

 Marten it was white or whitish. There were other slight 

 external differences, and the shape of the skull and size of the 

 teeth were supposed to distinguish the two species. The 

 habits of the two were also said to be different, the Pine Marten 

 frequenting Pine trees, and the Beech Marten Beech trees, as 

 well as mountains and rocks, while the latter was said to be 

 much more bold and daring. 



In 1879 the late Edward Alston, who was an authority on 

 the subject, stated that in his opinion the Beech Marten (which 

 is the common Marten of the Continent) is not, and never was, 

 a member of the British fauna. " During the last ten 3^ears " 

 (1869-79), he adds, "I have missed no opportunity of ex- 

 amining native Martens, and have endeavoured to trace out 

 every supposed Beech Marten that I could hear of. I have 

 thus seen a very large number of specimens from various 

 parts of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and every one 

 has proved to be Martes sylvatica, the Pine Marten." It is 

 greatly to the credit of our Irish naturalist, the late William 

 Thompson, of Belfast, that, prior to 1852, he had arrived at 

 somewhat similar conclusions, remarking that the yellow 

 colour on the breast of the young gave place to white in the 

 adult. He considered this a satisfactory explanation of the 

 fact that the yellow-breasted form should be the more common 

 with us, as the young of all animals more easily fall victims to 

 man. Of thirteen Martens received by Mr. Steals, taxider- 

 mist, Belfast, not one had the white breast. 



Martens are very destructive to every kind of game, and 

 consequently are trapped and killed by game-preservers on 

 every occasion. They reside chiefly in trees, and pre}' upon birds, 

 squirrels, and other small animals. But they will also descend 

 to the ground and destroy not only mice, rats, rabbits, and 

 hares, but even lambs. Thompson relates that a farmer in the 



