NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 175 



This larger relative of the pine marten has a range in North 

 America nearly coextensive with that of its smaller cousin and 

 covers mainly the coniferous forests from eastern Canada and 

 Maine across to Hudson Bay, southeastern Alaska and British 

 Columbia, and southward on the higher parts of the mountain 

 country to Tennessee in the East, the Rocky Mountains to 

 Wyoming, and the Sierra Nevada in California. Although 

 Rhoads in 1898 described as a separate race the fisher of the 

 Pacific coast, Grinnell, Dixon, and Linsdale (1937) have lately 

 demonstrated that there are no clear distinctions setting off the 

 animals of that region, but that only a single recognizable form 

 covers the immense range indicated. Goldman, however, 

 believes the British Columbian animal is distinguishable. The 

 fisher is much larger than the pine marten, measuring about 

 40 inches in length, of which the tail vertebrae comprise about 

 16 inches. The ears are shorter, hardly projecting above the 

 head. Females are smaller than males. Males may weigh up 

 to about 10 pounds, females to about 5.5 pounds. The general 

 color is ashy brown on the head, gradually darkening posteri- 

 orly to black on the legs and tail. There may be irregular 

 white areas on the throat and chest or on the abdomen. 



This large marten is highly prized for its handsome and 

 durable fur and is much trapped and sought after. The pelts 

 bring a high price. Not many years ago a prime skin might 

 fetch as much as $100. Fishers, like martens, inhabit the 

 heavy woods, subsisting on large and small mammals, such as 

 hares and even the porcupines, which they seem to attack 

 successfully; squirrels, wood rats, and mice of various kinds 

 are also taken. Though hunting and traveling much on the 

 ground, they are also expert climbers and possessed of great 

 strength and agility; like the marten they have the habit of 

 passing at intervals over a somewhat definite course, and are 

 said to go often in pairs. Two or three young are the usual 

 number, born late in spring (late in May in California). 



On account of the value of its fur, the fisher has everywhere 

 been relentlessly hunted and trapped, yet it is remarkable that 

 it has persisted in some areas in spite of persecution. In the 

 East there are still a few fishers left in northern and central 

 Maine, northern New Hampshire and the White Mountains, 

 and in northern Vermont and the Green Mountains. Probably 

 a few are to be found in southwestern New Hampshire in the 



