CHAPTER XL 



Martens Comparative harmlessness of Pursuit of elusive dollar A young 

 Marten Variations in Marten Marten and Polecat Tracking in snow 

 Food, and footprints of Marten Home-coming of Reconnoitring of 

 the beyond Shooting foxes Mange in foxes A hunting Marten 

 Craig-Llyn-Dyfi Legend of Marten and Buzzard. 



THE Marten is now so rare in Britain that it deserves a 

 chapter to itself, and in this must be condensed some of the 

 experiences I had of this most interesting animal in North 

 Wales, with occasional drafts on my old journals for know- 

 ledge of its habits obtained in other districts in former 

 years. That so large a creature, long ago pushed to the 

 verge of extinction, should survive here, and in some of 

 the Highland forests, speaks volumes for its sagacity, and 

 cunning, in avoiding traps, and keeping itself out of sight ; 

 but at the same time points an instructive finger to its 

 modes of procuring a living, and its comparative harmless- 

 ness to game. In the Highlands, its continuance is, no 

 doubt, also due, in some measure, to the benevolent tolera- 

 tion extended to it by some of the old Lairds, and their 

 servants, and the sanctuary of the quiet deer forests ; but 

 in Wales, unfortunately, it enjoys none of these things. 

 Here, every man's hand seems to be turned against it : 

 with or without reason, the keeper traps it, if he can, and 

 certainly without it, the farmer aids and abets him, to the 

 best of his ability. That that ability is not greater than 

 it is, all naturalists must be thankful ; and ere the time 

 comes when, perhaps, it may have developed, let us pray 

 that more enlightenment, or forbearance, may pervade the 

 glens. The statement just made of the want of reason on 

 the part of the farmer for killing the Marten needs quali- 

 fication in respect that his object is often the pursuit of the 

 elusive dollar. The skins or the animals killed, if in good 

 condition, are in request by local grandes dames^ as boas ; 



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