THE MARTEN AND THE BLACK- 

 FOOTED FERRET 



THOUGH their habitat is entirely different, 

 these two animals make very similar tracks 

 and trails, so they are properly treated of 

 in the same division. 



While the marten is a resident of the woods, 

 the black-footed ferret never leaves the open 

 prairie, where it lives in abandoned prairie-dog 

 holes, usually leaving its hole every second night, 

 unless it happens to kill a rabbit. It is the most 

 relentless enemy of the rabbit, and lives almost 

 exclusively on its flesh. 



The track of the black- footed ferret is about 

 the size of a small marten's, but in soft snow the 

 soles of the toes show more prominently than 

 those of the latter, whose strongly haired feet 

 usually cause the sole marks to appear rather 

 indistinct. 



Sometimes the trail of the marten looks like 

 that of the cottontail, but if followed for a short 

 distance it always assumes again the form of a 



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