Vol i907" IV ] Deane » Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. 57 



Baird to Audubon. 



Carlisle March 16, 1844. 

 My dear Mr. Audubon. 



I have the Pennant's Marten 1 safely in my possession having 

 just returned from Harrisburg with it, whither I had gone for the 

 purpose of procuring it. It seems in very good health, and is with- 

 out exception the most unmitigatedly savage beast I ever saw. 

 The Royal Bengal Tiger, or the Laughing Hyena are neither of 

 them circumstances to it. It goes through all the motions of a 

 mad cat, particularly when a dog comes near, — spitting, hissing, 

 growling etc. 



All the account I was able to procure respecting the animal was 

 the following. It was found in company with an older one, in 

 Peter's mountain, six miles above Harrisburg about five weeks ago. 

 After a most desperate resistance the old one was killed, having 

 beaten off a large pack of dogs, to whose assistance the hunters 

 were obliged to run. This individual ran up a tree, and being 

 stoned by the men, jumped off to a distance of forty feet! when 

 being a little stunned by the leap they ran up quickly and threw 

 their coats over it, and then secured it. The old one measured 

 three feet and a half from nose to end of tail, and was about one 

 third larger than this. 



I am looking out for a good chance to send the Marten on to you 

 which I hope will be early next week. There will be cars going on 

 Monday & Tuesday, to Philadelphia, but on Wednesday a man 

 goes down with his own car to whom I can entrust it safely to feed 

 and water. 



I will send on a few other skins I have here with the Marten. 

 A small shrew from Cape May, Squirrel, etc. If they leave on 

 Wednesday they will arrive on Thursday evening it taking two 



1 In the 'Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America.' under the article on Pennant's 

 Marten, Audubon writes: "The specimen from which the figure of our plate was 

 drawn, was taken alive in some part of the Alleghany Mountains, in the State of 

 Pennsylvania, and we soon afterwards received a letter from our esteemed friend, 

 Spencer F. Baird Esq., of Carlisle, in that State, informing us of its having been 

 captured, which enabled us, through that gentleman, to purchase it. His letter 

 was dated March 16, 1844." 



