NEZ long's menagerie 187 



" I (lure say lie would eat cliickeus if they (;ame in his 

 way, but lie does not care to stay about farms, and 

 lives on Squirrels, birds, and many of the smaller 

 nuisance animals, and when driven to it he will eat 

 even beechnuts." 



" My, though ! if those Martins ain't got tempers ! *' 

 said Nez. " And don't they jest fight fierce when 

 once they start ! I saw one kill a Rabbit ; it wasn't 

 satisfied with killin', but went on and tore and clawed 

 and chawed it all to bits. 



''You sliould see 'em try to ketch Squirrels," he con- 

 tinued. " ^lartins likes to git up in a tree and drop 

 down suddent on their prey. That evenin' a nice, big 

 Red Squirrel was setting on a pine branch with his 

 back to the tree, takin' a nap, though I suspect he was 

 more awake than he seemed. Along comes the Martin 

 down from the tree-top, peerin' this way and that, 

 lookiii' to make an easy drop. There wuz a branch 

 crosswise above the Squirrel and the Martin he couldn't 

 manage the jump anyhow. Then he began to spit and 

 cuss and snarl like mad, but the Squirrel never budged. 

 He stopped still until the Martin went over to try 

 another side, then opened his eyes, gave a big jump, 

 and was off chatterin' like a watchman's rattle. 



'' There's another Martin I've trapped out in the 

 Northwest, that's every bit as big as an Otter and 

 swims and fishes like one, for which reason some folks 

 calls it a Fisher, and some a Black Cat Martin, thouo-h 

 they are as mucli gray as black, and tlieir legs and tails 

 are brown, and they looks something like a little, lank}^, 

 long-tailed Bear. This Fisher will eat any mortal thing, 

 from one of its own family to a snake or a Porkipine. 



