64 ANIMAL LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



truth is that there is a white-throated Mustela foina in Europe 

 and Asia, but it does not reach northward so far as Sweden, 

 Norway, or the British Isles. The white examples found in 

 this country are old animals from which the yellow tint has faded. 



The Pine Marten may be described as resembling roughly 

 the better-known Polecat, but with longer legs, a broader, more 

 triangular head with sharp-pointed muzzle, and a longer, more 

 bushy tail. Its entire length is between twenty-five and thirty 

 inches, of which from nine to twelve inches are contributed by 

 the tail. Its colour is a rich dark brown, except on the throat 

 and breast which vary from orange through yellow to creamy- 

 white. The middle of the back and the exposed sides of the 

 legs and feet are darker than the rest, whilst beneath the tint 

 approaches grey. The superficial colour is provided by the 

 long upper, glossy fur, but beneath this is a finer, softer fur of 

 shorter reddish-grey hairs tipped with yellow. The eyes are 

 large, black, and prominent, the ears broad, open, and rounded 

 at the tips. Like all the other members of the family Mustelidas, 

 the Marten is provided with glands near the base of the tail. 

 It is these which enable the Skunk and the Polecat to disgust 

 their enemies ; but in the case of the Marten the secretion is 

 merely of a musky odour and not objectionable ; in consequence 

 one of its old English names was Sweet Marten to distinguish 

 it from the Foulmart or Polecat. 



The habits of the Pine Marten are mainly arboreal, for 

 which the long slender body and sharp long claws specially fit 

 it, whilst the long bushy tail is useful as a balancer in negotiating 

 slender branches in the pursuit of birds, or in reaching their 

 nests for eggs. All the same, the Marten is at times very 

 active on the ground where he destroys rats, mice, voles, 

 rabbits, hares, game-birds, and domestic poultry large and 

 small. He is even accused of attacking lambs and stealing 

 trout from the fishing boats. He has also a taste for bilberries, 

 strawberries, cherries, and raspberries ; and C. St. John tells 



