THE PINE-MARTEN. 147 



which alluded to the various martens he had seen, 

 in which one trapper stated that, though he had 

 lived in marten country all his life, and took as a 

 rule seventy or eighty marten-pelts in his traps 

 each winter, he had during his whole experience 

 seen only three wild martens at large in the 

 timber 1 It is possible, therefore, that this beast is 

 not so rare as is generally thought, and that where 

 it exists its presence may be unknown even to 

 the oldest woodsmen. Seton comments also on 

 the animal's preference for dense timber, and on 

 its habit of retreating to more remote cover, never 

 to return, on being disturbed by man ; and if 

 this be so in the wilds of Canada, where most 

 animals are utterly fearless of man, owing to their 

 ignorance of his ways, it would certainly apply with 

 far greater strength to the wild martens of our 

 own woods, where man is a much more potent 

 enemy than in a bush country. Among most of 

 our northern hills vast coniferous forests clothe 

 the mountain-sides over great areas, forest adjoin- 

 ing forest, and here occasional martens might live 

 unknown to man, the indications of their work 

 being taken for those of stoat or weasel. 



FOOD. 



Mice, birds, squirrels, rabbits, hares, rats, berries, 

 fish, lambs, and occasionally poultry, are, in the 

 order given, the pine-marten's special fare. As 

 the otter has specialised as a water-weasel and 

 become a past-master in the art of swimming, 

 so the pine-marten has developed the art of climb- 

 ing to such a standard of skill that it can truly 

 be described as the weasel of the trees. Like the 

 otter, the marten is a creature of exceptional gifts ; 

 but whereas the first named is of a loving and 



