PENNANT'S MARTEN n 



some of my friends, but have always thought that 

 I detected a smile, which seemed to say "This 

 is a fish-(er) story." 



In order that these statements should be cor- 

 roborated by a competent authority, I sent, many 

 years ago, several specimens in the flesh to Dr. C. 

 Hart Merriam, a celebrated naturalist, and to- 

 day Chief of Biology, Smithsonian Institute, 

 Washington, D.C.,, and he also, found the condi- 

 tion above described.*. The animals are grega- 

 rious in their migrations, but once located they 

 are generally found singly. They prefer moun- 

 tainous regions and gullies, with thickly wooded 

 slopes, just such places as are usually preferred 

 by porcupine. Prior to 1865, in the range of 

 mountains known as the Ste. Anne Mountains, 

 South Shore of the St. Lawrence, between Gaspe 

 and the city of Rimouski, porcupines were found 

 in abundance, and formed part of the winter 

 supply of fresh meat to many of the scattered 

 inhabitants of that region. One trapper and far- 

 mer combined, named Dugas, told me that he fre- 

 quently killed six or seven porcupines in a day's 

 hunt, and from one hundred to one hundred and 

 thirty in a season. In 1865 there was a migration 

 of fisher into that region, and two years later all 

 the porcupine had been exterminated. The very 

 same thing had occurred on the North Shore in 



* See Mammals of the Adirondacks, Merriam 1884, page 49. 



