THE riNE MARTEX. 295 



enough life, and only enough, to sprawl their limbs out 

 a little. On examining them he found that they had 

 all been dexterously bitten through the brains ; no other 

 animals were found in its larder." 



Berwick says that a fitch was repeatedly seen to resort 

 to the banks of a river to catch eels, and that eleven 

 were found in its retreat. The female makes her nest 

 either in a rabbit burrow, a hole in the rock, or amongst 

 a heap of stones grown over with grass or shrubs 

 situated in some retired spot, though often in the vicinity 

 of farms ; she has from three to six young ones in a 

 litter. As the young have been found in the nests in 

 May and June, it is not altogether improbable that the 

 fitch has two or more litters in a year. In winter the 

 fitch, which cannot stand excessive cold or heat, leaves 

 its abode in the woods, and betakes itself to barns, hay- 

 lofts, &c., remaining hidden about them during the day, 

 only leaving them at night, when it makes its attack in 

 the hen roosts or in the dairy. It is impossible to 

 thoroughly tame this animal." 



The pine marten is so called because it is generally 

 found in those localities where the pine trees abound, 

 and is in the habit of climbing pines in search of prey, 

 ft is a shy and wary animal, withdrawing itself as far 

 as possible from the sight of man ; and although rather 

 a dangerous and fierce antagonist when brought to ba}^, 

 is natm-ally of a timid disposition, and avoids collision 

 with its enemies. It delights in trees and traverses the 

 trunks and branches with astonishing activity, and being 

 enabled by its rapid and silent movements to steal 

 imuoticed on many an unfortunate bird, and seize it in 

 its deadly gripe before the startled victim can take to 



