382 THE GAME PRESERVER'S GUIDE. 



be waged against her to extermination, even if she is the 

 favourite of the household to which the game preserve is 

 attached, or there will be a poor show of game. From the 

 time that the young partridges are hatched to the full 

 fledging of the pheasant, a brace at least will fall to her talons 

 in the course of every twenty-four hours, which is rather a 

 heavier price than most fathers will pay for their daughter's 

 favourite ; but the question is seldom debated, for the very 

 first appearance of grimalkin is a sure precursor of her 

 speedy fall by trap, poison, or gun, whichever is the favourite 

 engine of destruction of the keeper. The steel trap, the 

 hutch trap of full size, or the wire, will either of them take 

 the cat; but the last is unsafe, as it can scarcely be set 

 without risking the death of a hare instead. Indeed, I have 

 more than once known a poacher's wire take a cat, whose 

 cries have soon brought out the keeper, for the cat does not 

 hang herself like the hare. 



THE WILD CAT (Felis catus) is now almost unknown in 

 this country, being very rarely found in Scotland. It may 

 be recognised by its shorter and more bushy tail, which has 

 an abrupt end, by its larger size, and more uniform colour. 



THE MARTEN (Maries abietum etfagina). 



There are two varieties, the pine and the beech marten, 

 the latter of which is portrayed in the accompanying 

 illustration. Each frequents the woods from which it takes 

 its name, and consequently the pine marten is more common 

 in the north, and the beech marten in the south. In their 

 habits they do not otherwise differ, both inhabiting the 

 hollows of trees or old nests, such as those of the magpie. 

 They produce three or four young, and at that time especially 

 are very destructive to young game. They feed also on 

 mice, rats, rabbits, leverets, squirrels, and pheasants and par- 

 tridges, besides other birds. In colour they are of a reddish 

 brown, the under parts being more or less white, with a 

 tinge of orange at the sides. The marten runs very 

 rapidly, and climbs into trees, jumping from one branch to 

 another nearly with the agility of the squirrel. If hunted 

 with dogs it generally enters some hole or crevice in the 



