184 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



as he went by had we felt inclined to do so. Listen ! 

 He has closed with the rabbit. Two cries ring out 

 close at hand ; on reaching the place they proceed 

 from, we find the stoat has fastened on to him close 

 under the ear, and the rabbit is dead. 



The beautiful fur of the marten is valued as an 

 article of commerce. The principal supply comes 

 to the furriers from the Continent, where he has his 

 stronghold and attains his largest growth and greatest 

 beauty of coat. The vast forests and rocks give him 

 shelter and provide him with food to his taste. 

 There he lives and multiplies, and is, comparatively 

 speaking, unmolested. In the winter his fur is in the 

 finest condition, when the howl of the wolf comes 

 from his stronghold and the quick yelping bark of 

 the fox sounds sharp on the ear. Then that very 

 wary bird, the full-grown, full-plumaged blackcock 

 will have to sleep with one eye open if the marten 

 finds out where he has perched for the night. 



He varies his hunting tactics to suit his purposes. 

 In the depths of the forest some mighty pines, fallen 

 through decay, have formed a natural stronghold for 

 him. In their fall they have brought others down, 

 causing a considerable opening. Coming from his 

 home beneath one of the huge fallen trunks, he 

 climbs up to the top of one of the dead limbs and 



