256 Practical Game Preserving. 



and to a certain extent upon its breast, hence one of its 

 designations, namely, white-throated marten ; besides which, 

 we may as well at once mention, are marteroy, beech 

 marten, marteron, and, equally as often as the pine, the 

 sweet marten in contradistinction, no doubt, to the 

 polecat, styled " foul marten." The scent so objectionably 

 foetid in the fitch, while being represented in both martens, 

 is far from being noisome ; on the contrary, it is not to all 

 persons objectionable, while to others rather pleasant. 



Resembling the above described animal in its habits, to 

 a certain extent, the stone marten, however, seems rather 

 to like hiding about in the near neighbourhood of man, and 

 will often prowl round the buildings composing the shedding 

 of a farm, and conceal itself in a barn or some such favour- 

 able shelter. In a hiding place of this kind will it remain, 

 and at night, when all is quiet, it will issue forth and pay a 

 visit, perhaps, to the poultry shed or house, and make a 

 thorough search for any fowls which may have preferred 

 to roost in any other place than that devoted specially to 

 their accommodation. Farm fowls to the extent of some half 

 dozen seem always to have such fancies, and these are a 

 great lure to vermin. 



More destructive than the less numerous pine marten, the 

 marteron is of the bloodthirsty nature noticeable in the 

 stoat; hence its predilection for poultry houses, and, should 

 it gain entrance into one, it will, unless disturbed, set to 

 work and destroy every bird the house may contain, and will 

 not unlikely remain until the owner comes to visit the 

 poultry in the morning. There are a good many instances, 

 no doubt, in which an occurrence like this is placed to the 



