222 



THE BADGER AND WEASEL FAMILY. 



forests far from human dwellings, and makes 

 its home in high trees, in clefts in the rocks, 

 not infrequently in the plundered nests of 

 ravens, falcons, pigeons, and squirrels. In 

 unfrequented forests it hunts even by day; 

 but where it fears any danger it goes out on 

 its forays only by 

 night. Birds, eggs, 

 and mammals, as 

 large, it may be, as 

 the young of the 

 roe-deer, are his 

 favourite food, but 

 he can satisfy him- 

 self in case of need 

 with berries, fruits, 

 honey, and insects. 

 With respect to his 

 climbing powers 

 he is inferior only 

 to the monkeys. 

 Nothing is more 

 delightful than to 

 watch a marten 

 pursuing a squirrel. 

 The splendid ro- 

 dent darts about 

 with arrowy speed 

 in wonderful leaps, 

 and from time to 

 time scurries down 

 to the ground in 

 order to climb up 

 another tree ; the ravager pursues with equal 

 rapidity and at last overtakes his prey, though 

 in many cases not till after a bewildering 

 chase of several hours, and having caught him 

 at once kills him and slakes his thirst in the 

 blood drawn from the jugular veins of his 

 victim. If in this case the marten remains the 

 victor through his own rapidity and adroit- 

 ness, he knows how to gain his end in other 

 cases by patience and cunning. Cowering on 

 a branch he awaits motionless the instant 

 when he can dash unexpectedly upon an in- 

 cautious victim not dreaming of any danger. 



Fig. 115. The Beech-Marten (Mustela foina). 



The female brings forth her young in a 

 warmly lined nest in April or May. From 

 three to five are born at a birth. They 

 remain blind for fifteen days, but can follow 

 their mother at the end of two months. 



The marten is hunted for the sake of his 



fur. He is caught in 

 traps or snares, or 

 his track is followed 

 on the new fallen 

 snow. Norway and 

 the Highlands of 

 Scotland yield the 

 best furs, the finest 

 specimens of which 

 are almost as dear 

 as that of the sable. 

 The furs of Nor- 

 thern Germany 

 and the High Alps 

 are not so highly 

 esteemed. Fur- 

 dealers have, how- 

 ever, assured me 

 that the few furs 

 obtained from the 

 elevated valleys of 

 the Swiss canton of 

 Valais and the En- 

 gadine maypass for 

 sables and fetch as 

 high prices when 

 they are well dyed. 



The Beech- or Stone-marten {Mustcla 

 foina], fig. 115, is to be found almost in all 

 parts in which the rarer pine-marten is a native. 

 But while the latter prefers the woods the 

 former likes the vicinity of man, who furnishes 

 him with a rich diet in his poultry-yards and 

 dovecots. He makes his retreat chiefly in 

 old walls, barns, deserted threshing-floors, 

 under heaps of wood or stone, and keeps 

 himself well hidden by day, carrying on his 

 hunt only by night. In the course of his foray 

 he often gets into noisy conflicts with the cats 

 on the roofs. He is a good climber and a 



