THE MARTIN. 53 



THE MARTIN. 



THIS beautiful connecting link between the fowmarte * 

 and the cat is not a native of this country. It was im- 

 ported, I believe, from America, and is pretty generally 

 dispersed over the wild and wooded districts of Scotland. 

 It has none of the offensive odour of the fowmarte, and 

 even more alertness and activity than the cat. Running 

 at a little distance, it looks exactly like a giant weasel. 

 In some the breast is nearly white, whilst in others it is 

 a bright orange, which has given occasion to the suppo- 

 sition, that they are varieties of the species ; but I have 

 no doubt they are the same. Of the many I have seen 

 trapped or shot, I always remarked that the male was 

 darker in the colour, and his breast almost white ; that 

 of the female was orange, and the fur lighter brown. I 

 had a male and female stuffed that were trapped together 

 at the same bait, exactly answering to this description. 



When pursued, the martin, although its legs are so 

 short, can run faster than a cat; this it does by a suc- 

 cession of springs, for which its long body gives it a 

 great advantage. As a last resource, it will climb 



k The name Fowmarte is a Scottish corruption from the Teutonic 

 Ful, fetid, and Herder, a martin. 



