i^-i^ Lifc-historics of Northern Animals 



1 Ik- Indians tcll inc that it is fonnd on the eastern part of the 

 north coast of Lake Winnipegosis, and on tlie south side of 

 Dawson's Hay, but not elsewhere in that country. A. ilenry 

 reports:" "Noveniber 21, 1800, few Fishers along upper Red 

 River." 



ENVIRON It is essentially a forest animal, living on the ground or 



in the trees, but is not known to burrow, or habitually take 

 refuge in holes underground. Tiiis, no doubt, is a weak place 

 in its cndovvinent; it must disappear with the forests. Only 

 those forest animals that are also undergound species are able 

 to hold tluir own against the axe of the pioneer. Good 

 exani|)lrs of this are seen in the Woodchuck, the Red-squirrel, 

 and the C'hipminik. 



Although not a(]uatic, it seems to prefer the neighbourhood 

 of swamps, especially if these be among large timber. In the 

 Bitter-roots of Idaho 1 found it following the bed of a stream 

 that was nearly dry. The trajipers on the Ottawa tell me that 

 it lives much more on the ground there than in the trees, and 

 that it follows regidar rimways. 



INDIVID- Cieorge Linklater, the Des Barats guide, believes that 



RAwe.E the home-range of the individual Fisher is smaller than that 



of the Marten. This hardly comports with the family 



habit, as their range usually corresponds closely with their 



size. 



Madison Grant tells me that one of his British Columbia 

 guides had a number of experiences with a large Fisher that 

 appeared in his locality about every ten or fifteen days, ap- 

 jiarently absent during the interval. No doubt, it had a very 

 small home-range while about the camp, but during the two 

 weeks elsewhere it probably changed its home locality half a 

 dozen times. These observations tend to show that it has a 

 certain beat, as have the Otter and Mink, a circle of jierhaps a 

 dozen miles around, along which it has dens, that it frequents 

 in turn. 



" [(HiriKil, tS()7, p. 155. 



