Ground Vermin The Beech Marten. 255 



beech marten is noticeable for the contrary. The hair of 

 the tail is long and bushy, and of a certainly darker 

 and duller tint than that of the body. 



Slowly dying out on account of its continued persecution 

 by and abhorrence of the presence of man, the habits of this 

 marten have become as solitary as the retreats which it 

 seeks in the wild, rough, and closely wooded districts of 

 England and Scotland. Among the craggy hills of Wales 

 it still occurs, and occasionally also in the Lake District. 

 The martens generally live but in couples ; and seeking out 

 some obscure hole or crevice as a retreat, they sally out at 

 night time chiefly, but also at early morning and dewy dusk, 

 in search of such food as they may be able to discover 

 without approaching too closely the dwellings of man. 



Every year the pine marten (called also the " sweet 

 marten" and " marten cat") is becoming scarcer, and will 

 shortly be as rare as the wild cat itself. We have once 

 or twice come across a marten on Dartmoor, but have 

 failed to obtain any sufficiently close sight of one. We 

 hope some day to obtain the creature itself when its 

 whereabouts may be more defined. 



Whether the distinctions existing between the last men- 

 tioned marten and the stone or beech marten warrant the 

 recognition of two species or not is beyond our province 

 to discuss, but until the contrary has been proved, we shall 

 adhere to there being two, of which there is not wanting 

 proof. 



The stone marten is of more common occurrence than 

 the one we have been describing, and its outward 

 distinction therefrom is in being white under the throat, 



