Mart 



en 



909 



a favourably circumstanced hunter will use the same line of 

 traps as successfully season after season, and results only 

 decline as the Marten disappear, and increase again as they 

 come back. In this connection a very important factor is the 



Fig. 2i6 — Marten. 

 Drawn by E. T. Sctou for the Biological Survey. U. S. Dept. Agr. N. A. Fauna, i6, 1899, p. 106. 



periodic greater or lesser fertility of the female. The Indians 

 have made the same remark in respect to Beaver, Musquash, 

 Fox, Mink, and Lynx." 



The problem is far from solved. Doubtless it is complex, 

 but the facts as known may be thus summarized: There are 

 many irregular local migrations and variations of the Marten 

 population which, however, are not large enough to change 

 materially the regular periodic rise and fall of its aggregate 

 numbers. 



The Marten increases with the increase of the Rabbit, 

 but begins to disappear while yet the Rabbit is abundant. 

 I suspect that MacFarlane is near the truth when he 



