CARNIVORA. 75 



and efforts are made to palm it upon buyers as fur of a more 

 costly kind. The Hudson's Bay Company have sold as many as 

 1 1,000 skins in a year, and upwards of 30,000 have, in the same 

 time, been exported from Canada by the French. According to 

 Sir John Richardson, Martens of the finest and darkest fur "ap- 

 pear to inhabit certain rocky districts." The flesh of the Pine 

 Marten is rank and coarse, but is eaten by the Indians. In con- 

 finement, it appears tolerably gentle, and loses much of its "snap- 

 pish character." They are trapped only in autumn and winter. 



Mu.st.ela Zibellina. The SABLE. This is the most celebra- 

 ted of all the Weasel tribe, not only on account of the richness of 

 its fur, but from the perils connected with the chase of it, carried 

 on in the depth of winter, and in regions the coldest and most des- 

 olate traversed by human footsteps. It has long whiskers, round- 

 ed ears, large feet, (the soles of which are covered with fur,) 

 white claws, and a long bushy tail. The general color of the fur, 

 of which the hair lies each way, is brown, with the lower part of 

 the neck and throat grayish. These animals inhabit the northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia.. Vast numbers of them are killed in 

 Siberia, and their skins form a very considerable article of com- 

 merce among the Russians. Sables' skins are in the highest 

 perfection between November and January ; and within that time 

 they are sought after by large numbers of hunters. They are 

 taken in snares, or traps, which are usually pit-falls, with loose 

 boards placed over them, baited with flesh. Sometimes fire-arms 

 and cross-bows are used in taking them. 



Putorius Vison. The MINK. This animal is of a brown 

 color, with a white chin and short ears. The feet and palms are 

 covered with hair to the extremity of the nails, and the feet are 

 semi -pal mated. It is smaller than the Pine Marten, being thir- 

 teen inches long, and the tail is half the length of the body. It 

 presents varieties which are striking and permanent, both in 

 respect to size and color. Next to the Ermine, it is the worst 

 depredator that prowls about the poultry yards of the farmer. 

 The Mink catches rats like the weasel or ferret, holding them by 

 the neck like a cat, and it has no aversion to fish; trout and 

 salmon seem to be special favorites. It will steal them when it 

 can, or dive after them in brooks and shallow water, swimming 

 with considerable facility, and like the muskrat, diving at the 

 fiiish of a gun. It resides of preference on the borders of ponds, 

 and along the banks of small streams. This species is very 

 numerous in salt marshes of the southern states, where it subsists 

 principally on the marsh-hen, the sea-side finch, and sharp-tailed 

 finch. It has not much cunning, and is easily taken in any kind 



