COMMON MARTEN. 215 



The fur of this animal is of much less value than that 

 of the yellow-breasted Marten, and bears no comparison 

 with that of the Sable : there are, however, great num- 

 bers imported into this country from the North of 

 Europe, and they are frequently dyed and sold as an in- 

 ferior kind of Sable. The inferiority of its fur consists 

 not only in the colour and actual length, but in the 

 relative length of the longer hair when compared with 

 the inner soft downy hair, which it scarcely conceals ; 

 and hence the texture as well as the colour of the fur is 

 much deteriorated. It is known to furriers by the name 

 of Stone Marten. The length and beauty of this fur, 

 as well as of that of most other animals of the kind, is 

 much increased by the accession of cold weather, from 

 climate or season. Thus the northern skins are more 

 full and of a finer colour and gloss than those from a 

 more temperate climate, and all of them more so in the 

 winter than in the summer. 



Professor Rolleston differs considerably from Blasius 

 as to the relative lengths of the two species. He assigns 

 the relative length of the body (including, we presume, 

 the head) and the tail as 18 in. + 12 in. = 30 inches to 

 Maries Abietum, and 16 + 8 = 24 inches to M. Foina. 

 Blasius gives to the former IT' 6'" + 3" 10"' + 9"= SO" 4'", 

 and to the latter, 17" + 3" 8'"+ 9" = 29" 8"'. 



The head of the Marten is somewhat triangular ; the 

 muzzle pointed ; the nose extending a little beyond the 

 lips ; the eyes large, prominent, and remarkably lively; the 

 ears large, open, and rounded ; the body much elongated 

 and very flexible ; the tail long, thick, and somewhat 

 bushy ; the feet rather short ; the toes generally naked, 

 but at times, probably in the winter, covered beneath 

 with a thin soft hair. The fur is of two sorts : the inner, 

 extremely soft, short, copious, and of a light yellowish- 



