MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 105 



The body of the Marten is equal to that of a small cat, the 

 entire length being about 30 inches, the tail measuring 12. 

 The legs are short and strong. The tail is bushy and full 

 toward the end, in contrast to the pekan. The head is broadly 

 triangular and cat-like, the eyes being oblique and situated half 

 way from snout to ears, which latter are high and rather pointed. 

 The soles are furred, and the pelage throughout is dense, soft, 

 and full. The color is brown of various shades, ranging from 

 almost orange to nearly black, the latter being most valuable. 

 On the throat there is a patch of yellowish or tawny, while the 

 whole under surface is lighter than the upper. The fur is full 

 from the end of October to the beginning of May. Toward the 

 end of summer, after the moult, a fine short fur appears re- 

 sembling that of a mink ; it gradually lengthens as winter ap- 

 proaches, and is considered prime after the first snow fall. 



The American animal agrees with the European M. martes so 

 closely in external appearance as to make it impossible to dis- 

 cover distinctive features, but the osteological features are said 

 to be well marked. It is probably otherwise with M. zebellina, 

 the true sable, which cannot at present be distinguished. The 

 four species are certainly very closely allied, and show the 

 martens to be of recent origin. 



In the Bui of the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey, 

 vol. II, No. 4, Mr. J. A. Allen summarizes a large number of 

 facts illustrating the geographical variation in this species, yet 

 concludes that the three species, foina, americana and martes, 

 are sufficiently distinct. 



The rocky, woody district on the north shore of lake Superior 

 and the national boundary is noted for its valuable black mar- 

 tens. The northern limit coincides with that of the forests. 



' ' Sable are ordinarily captured in wooden traps of very 

 simple construction, made on the spot. The traps are a little 

 enclosure of stakes and brush in which the bait is placed upon 

 a trigger, with a short upright stick supporting a log of wood ; 

 the animal is shut off from the bait in any but the desired direc- 

 tion, and the log falls upon the victim with the slightest 

 disturbance. A line of such traps, several to the mile, often 

 extends many miles. The bait is any kind of meat, a mouse, 

 squirrel, piece of fish, or bird's head. One of the greatest 

 obstacles that the sable hunter has to contend with, in many 

 localities, is the persistent destruction of his traps by the 

 wolverine and pekan, both of which display great cunning 



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