THE WEASEL FAMILY 151 



apparently before the domestic cat became a common animal, in 

 order to keep their houses clear of rats and mice. In Nipal (to 

 the north of the Indian Peninsula) an allied form is also now 

 domesticated. Seeing how extremely beautiful and much sought 

 after is the pelt of the sable (a Siberian species of marten), it is 

 curious that no attempt hitherto has been made to domesticate 

 this creature and breed it on a large scale for its fur. Instead of 

 doing so the Russian authorities in Siberia are allowing this 

 charming creature to be rapidly exterminated. 



Mustela martes. The Pine Marten 



This creature is distinguished from its near ally, the beech 

 marten, by the throat and chest being yellow (inclining to white 

 at the side, and orange in the centre) instead of white. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is a chocolate-brown. The 

 ears are edged with white. The under-fur is reddish-gray with 

 a tinge of yellow. But the long hairs of the outer fur are rich 

 glistening sepia or umber. The hair on the paws is blackish. 



The length of the Pine Marten is sometimes as much as 

 20 in. The tail varies in length from 9 in. to 12 in. if it is 

 measured to the end of the long hairs at the tip. 



The pine marten probably breeds twice in the year, in 

 February and June. The average number of young in a litter is 

 three, but as many as seven have been reported from Ireland. 

 It generally frequents woods during the breeding season, in order 

 to adapt some bird's nest as a home for its young. In Ireland, 

 however, it often breeds in crevices of the rocks. Although 

 called the pine marten, just as its European congener is called 

 the beech marten, it does not affect the pine in preference to 

 any other tree ; but inasmuch as its last resorts in the British 

 Islands are in districts where the Scotch pine is a common tree, 

 and as its habitat on the Continent is Northern rather than Central 

 Europe, it is often found in pine forests. In Ireland, however, 

 it adapts itself very readily to the lichen and moss-covered rocks 

 of the bare mountains. It is generally met with in pairs, there 



