MARTENS 51 



of Scotland and North Wales, etc. I fear that, 

 despite their beauty, their vices exceed their 

 virtues, and so the keepers do their best to ex- 

 terminate them, and, it cannot be denied, with 

 very sufficient reason. At one time it was supposed 

 that there were two varieties of martens in Britain, 

 viz., the pine or yellow-throated, and the common 

 or beech-martin. Modern naturalists have, how- 

 ever, determined that both are one and the same 

 animal. The fur of these animals, especially the 

 foreign variety, is of considerable value, being 

 dense, soft, and long. The tail is very similar 

 to that of a squirrel. From the names ' pine ' 

 and ' beech ' it might reasonably be supposed 

 that the martens are chiefly addicted to living, 

 like the squirrels, in trees. Such is not the case, 

 as they really spend more of their time on the 

 ground than in trees, and will, even when hunted 

 by dogs, rather avoid than take to a tree, though 

 when hard pressed they will do so.* The marten 

 appears to be a link between the stoat and the 

 squirrel, its shape partaking very much of both 

 animals ; but as far as its carnivorous propensities 

 are concerned, its habits resemble those of the 

 stoat. It is to be regretted that in this particular it 

 is not equally blameless with the squirrel ; it might, 

 perhaps, under such conditions, be less liable to 

 persecution. Not that the poor squirrel is by any 



* A connection of mine, when living in Wales, used to 

 hunt the marten, using a couple or two of foxhounds for the 

 purpose. 



