44 TEXT-BOOK OF ZOOLOGY 



further aided by the rudder-like action of the long bushy tail. Indeed, 

 its fastest pace is made up of a succession of long leaps. 



(d) It is an accomplished climber; by the aid of its supple body, short 

 legs, and sharp claws, it is able to climb up even the smooth-barked 

 trunks of beech-trees. 



In short, the pine marten is a thorough athlete, a true arboreal 

 creature, and an accomplished robber, scarcely inferior to the cat. It 

 spends the day calmly reposing in a safe hiding-place, such as the 

 deserted nest of a rook, dove, or squirrel. At the approach of night it 

 wakes up for its murderous occupation. With lightning speed it runs up 

 the trunks of the trees, up to their swaying tops, and climbs up and down 

 among the branches ; now, again, it may be seen creeping like a cat 

 through the thick grass, inspecting every nook and cranny, sniffing at the 

 holes in the tree-trunks, listening, peering now here, now there, in search 

 of some sort of prey or other, be it a sleeping bird, a young hare, a mouse, 

 or the like. Now it has caught sight of a squirrel. Unobserved it 

 rapidly ascends the trunk of the tree on the other side of the creature, 

 and mounts the branch on which it is sitting. Brushing the branch 

 with its belly, it stealthily creeps up, cautiously placing one foot in front 

 of the other ; suddenly the squirrel catches sight of its pursuer, and now 

 a mad chase begins. From branch to branch leaps the frightened 

 creature, hotly pursued by the murderer. With one mighty leap it lands 

 upon a neighbouring tree : the pursuer follows ; up and down the trunk 

 the race continues. It is only by taking a leap downward, which its 

 pursuer cannot imitate, and rapidly gaining another tree, that the squirrel 

 can hope to escape with its life. Otherwise it is doomed to succumb 

 exhausted, and yield up its life under the teeth of the marauder. 



4. The dentition of the marten is in fullest accord with its extra- 

 ordinary rapacity. It exactly agrees with that of the cat (which see), 

 except in the number of the premolars (three above, four below) ; but the 

 projections of the separate teeth are even still more pointed. (With regard 

 to breadth of jaws, strength of masticatory muscles, cranial crests, etc., 

 compare the cat.) The mandible being capable of assuming a position 

 almost at right angles to the upper jaw, the gape is of great width, and 

 the marten is thus enabled to attack such animals as fawns or hares, and 

 to carry off the eggs of large birds. 



5. The mental characteristics of the marten are those of a true beast 

 of prey : cunning, cautiousness, courage, ferocity, and cruelty. If it 

 succeeds in entering a poultry-house or pigeon-loft, it will go on killing 

 as long as anything living stirs within. It only drinks the blood of its 

 victims, but with such greed that it almost seems to get intoxicated 

 with it. 



