MARTEN. 



ather larger than the weasel, being about nine inches 

 ind a half long in the head and body, and three and 

 i half in the tail. Its form is much the same as that 

 if the weasel, and its manners and modes of action 

 ire similar, but in a state of nature it does not fre- 

 |uent the same kind of localities. In summer it is, 

 generally speaking, of a yellowish brown on the upper 

 art, and a clear sulphur yellow on the under, with 

 he chin white, and the tail brown, except the extre- 

 nity, which is black. This is really its gay or nuptial 

 Joining, though it is not the one held in most esti- 

 nation by those who seek animals for their skins, and 

 lot for their manners. There is another reason for 

 his : the skins of animals are not so firm in the sum- 

 ner, neither is the fine under covering of the fur 

 mimals so abundant and close at that season as it is 

 n the winter. A summer fur is in fact a thing of 

 mall value compared with a winter one in respect 

 loth of durability and of warmth ; and therefore the 

 uperior quality of the ermine's fur goes along with 

 hat peculiarity of its colour which is so much admired, 

 rhe winter colour is, as we have said, the most snowy 

 vhite ; and we are not aware that the fur or hair of 

 my other animal can in this respect come up to it. 

 Fhere is one part, however, which does not change, 

 lamely, the tip of the tail, for that remains throughout 

 he year of the most intense black ; and when the 

 iir of the ermine is used for ornamental purposes, 

 his black is spotted in little tags over the white, and 

 joth colours profit by the contrast. 



In all animals, whether mammalia or birds, which 

 )ut on white for their winter clothing, there is always 

 some part which remains unchangeable, as a sort 

 >f hostage that the animal shall return to its summer 

 :olour when the season comes round. In the variable 

 iare which occur? in some of the lofty mountain tops 

 n the northern part of Britain, the general colour in 

 vinter changes from pale dappled fawn to pure 

 ,vhite, but the tips of the ears remain black all the 

 ^ear round. The ptarmigan, which inhabits similar 

 situations, undergoes a change from mottled grey to 

 jure white ; but the shafts of the principal quills, and 

 n many cases the webs, retain the black colour 

 which they have in the summer. 



The ermine haunts copses, hedge?, and meadows, 

 ind it is particularly fond of the banks of streams 

 when they are margined with bushes. It is as pre- 

 datory in its habits as the weasel, or even the pole- 

 cat, but it very rarely invades the poultry-yard, or 

 even resorts to the habitation of man. The ermine, 

 as well as the weasel, has been tamed, and made to 

 show some attachment to those who were kind to it ; 

 and this we might be prepared to expect, because all 

 the marten family, from the nature of their food, and 

 ihe means by which they have to obtain it, must be 

 animals of considerable intelligence and resource. 

 From what has been already remarked, however, the 

 taming- of them must be begun at a very early age, 

 and before they have tasted blood, otherwise it can 

 never be perfectly accomplished. The inducements 

 to tame such animals are not, however, very great, 

 because the only uses to which they can be applied 

 are unearthing rabbits and killing rats and mice. 



The Mink (P, Lutrcola). This is an animal of the 

 North-east of Europe, and probably of the countries 

 beyond, and in some of its characters and its habits it 

 makes a slight approach to the otters. Its feet are 

 pai tially webbed, and it frequents the margins of the 

 waters, feeding chiefly upon frogs and crabs. In its 



structure it approaches more nearly to the polecats 

 than to any other genus of the martens ; but it differs 

 from them in habit, as above mentioned, and also in 

 its odour, which is that of musk, and not so strong as 

 to be rank and offensive. The fur of the mink is 

 not so much prized for its colour as that of the 

 ermine, but it is of better quality, being more close 

 and warm, and also more firm and durable. The 

 colour is maroon, approaching to black, with the last 

 part of the tail black and the chin white. There is 

 very little reflection of light from the fur, but it is 

 exceedingly soft arid beautiful, and fetches a high 

 price in the market. The mink, from its aquatic 

 habits, does not come near the habitations of men, 

 and thus does not incur their displeasure for any 

 depredation which it commits on their property. 

 This, however, does not ensure it a safe dwelling by 

 the banks of those lonely rivers which are its favourite 

 haunts ; for, though its conduct does not awaken the 

 revenge of mankind, its covering stimulates their 

 cupidity. From the nature of its haunts, and from 

 its being hunted in the winter, less is known of the 

 domestic manners of the mink than of most others of 

 the genus ; but it resembles the rest so much in its 

 organisation, that in all probability its whole charac- 

 ter, with the exception of haunt and food, is nearly 

 the same. 



The Vison (P. Visori) is an American species, very 

 much resembling the mink both in its appearance and 

 its habits. Like that animal, it has the feet partially 

 webbed, but it wants the white on the chin, though 

 it has sometimes the white line on the throat. Its 

 size is nearly the same as that of the mink of North- 

 eastern Europe, and its fur is of equal, if not superior 

 quality. It is found both in the United States and 

 in Canada, only much more abundantly in the latter 

 country. Like the European mink, it inhabits the 

 margins of the waters, and feeds upon reptiles and 

 fishes. Indeed, both species are to be considered as 

 a sort of intermediate link between the polecats pro- 

 perly so called, and the otters, being more aquatic 

 than the one, and less so than the other. 



The species which we have enumerated are the 

 principal ones of the polecat genus which inhabit 

 the temperate and cold regions of the world. A few 

 others are indeed mentioned by different authors, but 

 it does not appear that there are any grounds upon 

 which these can be well established as species. 

 Most of them resemble either the ermine or the 

 mink, and both of these are subject to variations of 

 colour, the only circumstance upon which the sup- 

 posed species are founded. In the ermine, especially 

 in its winter dress, and that is the dress in which it is 

 most valuable, and in consequence most sought after, 

 we might be prepared to expect those variations 

 in colour. All animals which change from any other 

 colour to white during the winter, do so as an adapta- 

 tion to the cold, and consequently the extent of the 

 change must be in proportion to the degree of cold 

 to which they are subjected. Those with which we 

 are most familiar are the alpine hare and the 

 ptarmigan, already alluded to ; and it is matter of 

 observation that they do not change so completely to 

 white in mild places, or in mild winters, as they do 

 when the place or the season is more severe. It is 

 quite natural to suppose that the ermine, which is a 

 seasonal animal in its colours as well as they are, 

 should be affected in a similar manner by difference 

 of climate or difference of season, mid that ermines 



