THE SABLE 167 



Squirrels are the favourite prey of the Pine Marten, but 

 none of the smaller animals are rejected, and it does 

 not hesitate to attack and overcome lambs and young 

 fawns. When chased it takes flight in a series of bounding 

 leaps of six or seven feet, generally making for the nearest 

 tree, up which it darts with extraordinary speed. The 

 female often appropriates the nest of a squirrel which she 

 has eaten, wherein to bring up her young ones, or else 

 she makes a nest in the hollow of a tree. Marten skins, 

 especially the Canadian variety, are often cleverly [dyed to 

 imitate real sable. 



SABLE (Mustela zibellind). 

 Coloured Plate IX. Fig. 2. 



Some naturalists rather incline to the belief that the 

 Siberian Sable is but a local variety of the pine marten ; 

 but the conical head, larger ears, and bigger and stronger 

 limbs of the former denote a distinct species. 



The fur of the Sable is long and fine and a rich dark- 

 brown in colour. Though only a small animal, its skin 

 is worth from three to ten guineas ; but the darkest skins, 

 which are considered the best, rarely pass out of Russia. 

 The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs of London 

 have their official robes lined with Russian Sable, varying 

 in accordance with their respective ranks. In olden times 

 Sable fur was probably of still more value, for a sixteenth 

 century writer says that a bale of forty skins was worth 

 more than a thousand pieces of gold. 



Not only is the Sable a rare animal, but it dwells in 

 such inclement localities that none but the hardiest hunters 

 can venture upon its chase, especially as its fur is only in 

 best condition in the winter. The creature must not be 

 shot, as the valuable fur would be injured, and it is 

 therefore taken in ' fall-traps/ which kill the animal at 

 once. Like most of the weasels, the Sable is a cunning 

 animal, and not easily enticed into snares ; and if the 

 hunter finds one Sable in ten traps, he is well satisfied. 



A Sable trap is simple in construction, consisting of a 



