lOfi WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xm. 



nothing on the spot where I had put my trap but a heap of 

 leaves, some dry and some green ; I was just going to move them 

 with my hand, when I luckily discerned a pair of bright eyes 

 peering sharply out of the leaves, and discovered that I had 

 caught a large marten, who, finding that he could not escape, 

 had collected all the leaves within his reach, and had quite con- 

 cealed himself under them. The moment he found that he was 

 discovered, he attacked me most courageously, as the marten 

 always does, fighting to the last. I had other opportunities of 

 satisfying myself that this animal is a great fruit-eater, feeding 

 much on the wild raspberries, and even blackberries that grow 

 in the woods. Though generally inhabiting cairns of stones, the 

 marten sometimes takes possession of some large bird's nest, and 

 relining it, there brings up her young, who are remarkably 

 pretty little creatures. I endeavoured once to rear and tame a 

 litter of young martens which I found in an old crow's nest, 

 and I believe I should have succeeded had not a terrier got at 

 them in my absence, and revenged himself on them for the 

 numerous bites he had felt from martens and polecats in his 

 different encounters with them. I have more frequently seen 

 this animal abroad during the day time than any of the other 

 weasels. 



I remember starting one amongst the long heather in the very 

 midst of a pack of dogs of a Highland fox-hunter: though all 

 the dogs, greyhounds, fox-hounds, and terriers, were immediately 

 in full pursuit, the nimble little fellow escaped them all, jump- 

 ing over one dog, under another, through the legs of a third, 

 and finally getting off into a rocky cairn, whence he could not be 

 ejected. "It's the evil speerit hersell," said the old man, as, 

 aiming a blow at the marten, he nearly broke the back of one 

 of his best lurchers. Nor did he get over his annoyance at 

 seeing his dogs so completely baffled, till after many a Gaelic 

 curse at the beast and many a pinch of snuff. The marten-cat 

 is accused by the shepherds of destroying a great many sheep. 

 His manner of attack is said to be by seizing the unfortunate 

 sheep by the nose, which he eats away, till the animal is either 

 destroyed on the spot or dies a lingering death. I have been 

 repeatedly told this by different Highland shepherds and others, 

 and believe it to be a true accusation. They kill numbers of 



