100 CANADIAN WILDS. 



beauty, being dark on back, and throat and sides 

 of gray or stone color. 



The third kind, which is the scarcest, and 

 consequently of most value, is the marten found 

 in the black spruce country, or swamps of north- 

 ern Labrador. The fur of this variety is of a 

 deep brown color throughout the pelt, and at 

 times the tips of the hairs on the rump are sil- 

 ver gray or golden brown. The latter are very 

 rare, and such skins have been sold in the Lon- 

 don fur market for 5 a piece! They are also 

 much larger than the other kinds, the skins of 

 the male often being from 24 to 30 inches long, 

 exclusive of the tail. 



The proper and most successful time for 

 hunting is in the latter days of November and 

 the whole month of December. They are hunted 

 again in March, but by that time the sun has 

 bleached out the color of the hair, which causes 

 a depreciation in value. 



As a business, trapping is the only mode of 

 killing martens. They are rarely seen to be 

 shot at, as they pass the days in thickets or hol- 

 low stumps, only emerging after nightfall to 

 hunt their food, which consists of mice, birds, 

 young partridges, etc. 



Wooden traps are made in the well-known 

 "figure-of-four" shape, and are set either on 



