FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



much rarer than the wild cat, while in Wales it 

 is equally uncommon, whereas polecats are still 

 plentiful in certain Welsh districts. The last 

 Lakeland pine marten that we personally handled 

 was taken in 191 5. But more recently we saw 

 marten tracks in the snow. By nature the 

 marten is a tree dweller, but the gradual dis- 

 appearance of the timber has forced it to take 

 refuge on the open fells. There is a saying that 

 in the Troutbeck valley, near Windermere, a 

 squirrel could run from the fell head to Winder- 

 mere Lake without once touching ground, so 

 closely forested was the countryside ; but such a 

 feat is impossible to-day. The marten's present 

 home is amongst the crags and rocky earths or 

 borrans which bestrew the fell sides. 



Some authorities say that the marten breeds 

 twice in the year, i.e., in February and June ; 

 but the writer cannot vouch for the truth of this 

 statement. As already mentioned, three is 

 the average litter number, though as many as 

 seven young ones have been found in one "nest." 

 On the Lakeland fells the marten breeds among 

 the rocks, but in woodlands it uses an old squirrel's 

 " drey" or the deserted nest of a crow, hawk, 

 or magpie. The gait of a pine marten consists 

 of a series of bounds, the space between the im- 

 prints in snow often being of surprising length. 

 It also affects a sort of bounding gallop, while 

 its slowest pace is a walk. The tracks in snow 

 may be mistaken for those of a hare, but if they 

 are followed the trail sooner or later shows the 

 walk and thus sets all doubts at rest, as a hare 

 never walks. A marten does not run, as a ferret 

 or a polecat will. In its movements the marten 

 is a real " live wire," which is not surprising 

 when we consider the fact that it can catch a 



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