Ill 



FISHEE, OE CANADIAN MAETEN. 



Miistcla pennanti. 

 French : Pecan. German : Yirginischer Iltiss. 



The Fisher or Pekan, as it is sometimes called, is the 

 largest of the Marten tribe, being about 2 to 3 feet in 

 length. The tail is from 11 to 19 inches long. 



It inhabits North America, but its range is somewhat 

 limited, comprising the whole of the Dominion of 

 Canada, from the province of New Brunswick to that 

 of British Columbia on the Pacific. It is only met 

 with in the United States in the western and most 

 northerly parts, such as Oregon, Maine, etc. It does 

 not appear to exist now in Virginia, although the 

 German name of Virginian Fitch or Polecat implies that 

 it once was found there. It is most probably extinct 

 in this and many other States of the American Eepublic, 

 where it was no doubt at one time abundant. A few 

 are still found in South America, the skins from these 

 parts having only hair. 



The colour of the Fisher is dark brown, with longer 

 and still darker hairs ; it is lighter towards the head, 

 which is short and thick ; the ears are rather short ; 

 the tail is long, thickly furred, and tapering beautifully 

 to a point ; this appendage is usually dark brown or 

 almost black, corresponding to the general colour of the 

 body, and has sometimes a white tip. Many animals 

 are of a light or pale colour over about half of the body, 

 the tails in these cases being brown. In some of the 

 thickly-wooded districts of Canada, Fishers are found 

 which are almost black. White specimens are occa- 



