Fisher 931 



that were treed in the Peter Mountains, 6 miles above Harris- 

 burg, Pa., about the first of February. There was a most 

 desperate fight before "the old one was killed, after having 

 beaten ofif the dogs, to whose assistance the hunters were 

 obliged to come." 



The young one was taken alive; the old one proved a 

 female. She was "no doubt the mother of the one that was 

 captured, and probably died in hope of saving her young." 



So far as is known, the young do not usually continue so 

 long with the mother; and the father takes no part in rearing 

 them. 



But one brood is produced each year. 



Like most Weasels, this is neither sociable nor grega- socia- 



. . . . BILITY 



rious. I never heard of anything like a social gathering 

 of Fishers. They have, therefore, but few methods of in- 

 tercommunication. 



Its vocal powers are fairly developed. Those from which voice 

 I made the sketches, uttered an occasional snarl at each other. 

 "A Maine trapper writes: 'Their noise is like a child when it 

 cries in a mournful tone, and again it makes a short, sharp 

 whistle.'"' 



Bachman describes'" a male that was treed, as "showing 

 his teeth and growling at the same time * * * elevating 

 his back in the manner of an angry cat," and another as "very 

 spiteful, growling, snarling, spitting when approached," and 

 emitting "a rather strong musky odour." 



The Fisher is a true Marten, endowed with all the tricks, habits 

 activity, and the peculiarities of the race. It is probably our 

 most active arboreal animal. The Squirrel is considered a 

 marvel of agility, but the Marten can catch the Squirrel and the 

 Fisher can catch the Marten, so that we have here a scale of 

 high-class agility, with the Fisher as superlative. L. War- 



• J. G. R., of Bethel, Me., Forest and Stream, June 24, 1S86. 

 '° Quad. N. A., 1849, Vol. I, pp. 310 and 312. 



