34-O Wild Life in Wales 



lair, night after night, along almost the identical road. It 

 appears chiefly to live in solitary state ; and if we have 

 been lucky enough to track a female home she is always 

 less in size than a male, and consequently leaves smaller 

 tracks and have time, and patience enough, to revisit the 

 place very early some spring or summer morning, and get 

 into ambush on the line of approach, we may have the 

 satisfaction of seeing the young at play, or of witnessing 

 the wanderer's return in full daylight, a sight that, from the 

 rarity of the animal, cannot now be often enjoyed in this 

 country, but one that should amply reward any true lover 

 of Nature for a good deal of trouble and inconvenience. 



From a well-chosen position, and aided by a pair of good 

 binoculars, a large extent of the bare hillsides, and mountain 

 tops, which Welsh Martens now frequent, may sometimes 

 be commanded, and with the knowledge gained by our 

 observations in the snow it should not be a very difficult 

 matter to keep the animal continually under view, for half 

 an hour, or longer. If the morning be warm and fine, and 

 there is nothing to alarm it, it will dally here and there, and 

 put off a lot of time, as it nears its retreat. It may even 

 sit, or lie down, on some sunny ledge, and remain there, 

 enjoying the warmth, for quite a long time, or till the bark 

 of a dog in the valley far below warns it that it is time to 

 get to more secure quarters. It usually travels at an easy 

 canter, in a fairly direct line on the whole, but with many 

 minor deviations, for the examination of such places as have 

 already been referred to. Some particular places, perhaps 

 solitary rocks, or heaps of stones, will be visited every 

 morning, and for the same purpose. Here it will stop to 

 wash its face, or there to attend to some other personal business; 

 but the curious thing is that, morning after morning, the same 

 ideas seem to come into the creature's head, at exactly the 

 same spot. Perhaps associations suggest them ; but, be that 

 as it may, our Marten may be counted upon to canter up 

 the brae here, or down the brae yonder, almost with the 

 regularity of an automaton. Should a line of wall, or turf 

 dyke, intersect the course, it will certainly be followed for 

 some distance, probably until some well - known, and 



