ffiennant'g Jtlarten (jHugtella ffiemtanti) 



IMONG the fur-bearing animals that we also 

 trapped was the above, or as sometimes call- 

 ed "Fisher," though why he should be so called I 

 cannot imagine, as I never saw nor heard of the 

 animal catching any fish. I know, however, that 

 he will eat fish, because we often had some of our 

 mink and marten traps robbed by him of the fish 

 bait. His natural food is meat, and when he 

 can get it, chiefly that of the porcupine, of which 

 he is the most deadly enemy. A very strange 

 thing is that the porcupine quills do not seem to 

 affect this animal at all. Some years after I be- 

 gan trapping I caught a large fisher a male 

 that I am sure had over two hundred quills in 

 its body, without apparently suffering any incon- 

 venience from them. I examined it carefully 

 it appeared so extraordinary for signs of pus 

 or swelling, but there was none. The animal was 

 fat and in fine condition. I was not satisfied 

 with this particular case, but resolved to con- 

 tinue this examination with every specimen I 

 should get hold of. Since that time I have trap- 

 ped and shot about forty fishers, every one of 

 which had quills in the body, but with no bad 

 effect. I have occasionally related these facts to 



