Fisher 941 



Nahmakanta Lake. In going along the side of a high granite 

 ledge he saw where the buck had fallen, and there was blood 

 on the snow. After stumbling along a few rods, it had fallen 

 again, and there was more blood. This was repeated several 

 times, and then he saw where the buck had struck a Fisher 

 which had been clinging to its neck and biting it, and had 

 knocked it several feet to one side. The Fisher was evidently 

 badly hurt, as Louis said it dragged its hind-legs, making a 

 track in the snow like an Otter, and had crawled into a crack 

 in the ledge. On going back he found that the Fisher had 

 been on top of the ledge, where the Deer path led along close 

 to it, and had sprung down upon the Deer and was trying to 

 bite the jugular vein. I have known of instances where they 

 have been successful in doing this." 



The list of immunes keeps shrinking. There are now but 

 few of the wild things left that, by reason of their size and 

 strength or other gifts, can afford to regard with indifference the 

 Blackcat crawling near. There are indeed two creatures that 

 through ages of security have been led to think themselves 

 exceptions to the rules — the Skunk and the Porcupine; but 

 the Fisher itself is an exception to all rules. 



As far back as 1829, Richardson wrote-' of the Pekan: porcu- 

 "Its favourite food is the Canada Porcupine, which it kills killer 

 by biting on the belly." Every northern naturalist since has 

 borne similar testimony. Hardy says:" 



"Their food consists of Porcupines largely. * * * It 

 seems to swallow the quills of Porcupines without any injury. 

 I have examined many hundreds of Fisher skins where there 

 were quills lying flat against the skin, usually either on the 

 back of neck or lower part of the back, but I never saw any 

 signs of their causing any sores or suppuration, as they do in 

 a dog. While I had skins of Fox, Raccoon, and Wildcats, 

 which have been picked up dead, with their necks just filled 

 with Porcupine quills, which evidently had caused their death, 

 I have never seen a quill sticking in a Fisher; and the same is 



*■ F. B. A., 1829, I, p. 53. " See Note 4- 



