THE PINE-MARTEN. 



its way from the gamekeeper's point of view is 

 by no means an easily decided one. True, the 

 marten may destroy pheasant-nests, chicks, and 

 even the old birds ; but the question arises as to 

 whether it would do more harm in this way than 

 the numerous squirrels, gray rats, stoats, &c. that 

 it ousts. In this way nature usually strikes a 

 balance to prevent the extermination of any one 

 species, the presence of a large killer bringing 

 about the removal of many smaller killers, the 

 total of whose depredations would be at least equal 

 to its own a fact which is very easily lost sight 

 of, especially when the traces of the murderer are on 

 every side and the evidence in its favour is purely 

 a matter of conjecture. It must be borne in mind, 

 furthermore, that the pine-marten is a creature of 

 the trees, and far less likely to destroy the nests 

 of ground-birds than are stoats and weasels. Tree- 

 birds of all kinds, from hawks and ringdoves to 

 the smallest songsters, are its natural prey, and 

 its cleverness in circumventing them is largely 

 due to its knowledge as to the whereabouts of 

 their favourite perches. It will lie invisible in the 

 crotch of a tree, and the very instant a bird alights 

 near while, indeed, the unfortunate victim is 

 absorbed in gaining a footing the marten darts 

 forth like a streak of light and clinches the matter. 

 The trouble with the marten is that there is 

 never any telling what it will do next. For a time 

 it may occupy its allotted range without com- 

 mitting any grave offence ; then suddenly one 

 night it sallies forth and commits some unspeak- 

 able crime sufficient to raise the whole country- 

 side in arms. For this reason I do not see the 

 feasibility of cultivating martens as an ornament 

 to our suburban parks, as advocated by one 



