Marten 913 



Accordingly a male was admitted from the adjoining cage 

 on January ^ * * * and the pair finally separated on the 

 1 8th. * * * Young were born early on April 22. * * * The 

 probable period of gestation of this species is, therefore, a 

 few hours over 103 days, the extreme of possibility ranging 

 from g6 to 106 days." 



A. H. Cocks very appositely remarks here that this dura- 

 tion is a surprise, as the Pole-cat goes 40, the Otter 61, and the 

 Ferret about 42 days. 



All observers agree that the nest is made by the female nest 

 alone. The favourite place is a hollow tree, but sometimes a 

 burrow in the ground is selected; it is carefully lined with 

 grass and moss. 



The young number from i to 5; are usually 3 or 4, and are young 

 born in late April. Spencer says,° on the evidence of his 

 Indians, that at first "they are the size of a new-born 

 kitten, brown and black in colour [not white], helpless, 

 with closed eyes. The female suckles the young for a 

 period of 5 weeks and is unassisted by the male in rearing 

 them." 



George Linklater, of Des Barats, once saw a female out 

 in May with 4 young ones that she was teaching to hunt. 

 This was in Algoma. 



Since the young need the mother's care all summer, we 

 must believe that but one brood is produced each year. Here 

 the positive evidence gives out, but help for future observations 

 may be found in Cocks's notes qn the development of an 

 English Marten brood that he reared in captivity. His main 

 facts are as follows:"' 



They were born April 7, 1882. They numbered 3 (2 

 males, i female), and at first all were quite white. On the loth 

 one examined was 6 inches long; of this the tail was i| inches. 

 On the 14th the white fur was grizzled. On May 6th, they 

 were yet blind, but some time prior to the 20th, that is, at a 

 little over four weeks, their eyes opened. On the 29th, the 



° See Note 7. '" See Note 8. 



