418 Mme. J. Power on the Habits of the common Marten. 



any. 1 even made the experiment of giving them, at one of 

 their meals, the flesh of a large rat ; they smelt at it, at the same 

 time making faces, but did not touch it, and went away from 

 it w4th an air of disgust and repugnance. 



The Marten has the senses of smell and hearing very delicate. 

 Mine always smelt at their meat before touching it, exactly in 

 the same way as a cat. If the meat were not fresh, they did 

 not eat it, came to me with an uneasy air, and endeavoured, 

 by their little actions, to make me understand that they were 

 hungry. When my servant came to fetch the basket in which 

 he usually placed the meat which I sent him to buy for the 

 Martens, they would spring upon the window-sill, and there 

 watch for his retui'n; when they saw him, they ran before him, 

 jumping about with joy, and emitting their little cry, hi, hi, hi. 



One day the servant, wishing to see what the Martens would 

 do if he arrived with empty hands, left the basket upon the 

 staircase, and came into the antechamber. They were soon con- 

 vinced, by the fineness of their scent, that he had not brought 

 any meat. A very interesting scene then took place : first of all, 

 they showed their, anger against the servant, by grimacing at 

 him and showing their teeth; then they came to me, opening 

 their mouths, and endeavoured to make me understand that 

 their food had not been given to them. They mounted upon my 

 knees, gave me a thousand caresses, played a thousand tricks, 

 and at this critical moment displayed all the sagacity with which 

 they were inspired by their instinct. I was then obliged to yield 

 to their earnest entreaties, and give them the meat for which 

 they were so anxious. 



Wishing to know how the ]\Iartens contrive to attack squirrels, 

 and the mode of defence of the latter, I procured a living squin-el, 

 and put it upon the tree ; as soon as the IMartens perceived it, 

 they threw themselves upon it, and notwithstanding its agility, 

 it could not long escape from the cruelty of its two enemies. 

 The battle was short ; the squirrel was attacked, killed, soon 

 torn to pieces, and devoured. The ]\lartens only left the skin, 

 the head and the intestines. 



I remarked that although they were very fond of the flesh of 

 young game, they always gave the preference to beef, but they 

 never ate the fat. Another very curious and interesting obser- 

 vation with regard to the instinct of these animals is, that when 

 my Martens saw ill- dressed people entering the house, even 

 though they were in the habit of seeing them come frequently, 

 they threatened them by showing their teeth, and their hair 

 stood on end to the very tips of their tails. I was then called 

 immediately, and was compelled to threaten them with a cane 

 which I held in my hand when I was angry with them, to pre- 



