The Weasel Family — IMarten Group. 179 



granary, although generally its abode carefully formed of 

 hay and straw is found in a hole in a tree, or in a eraunie 

 between rocks. The young, generally four or five in num- 

 ber, are born early in the spring; and are blind for the 

 first two weeks of their existence. The food of the Beech 

 Marten consists of mice, rats, rabbits and all kinds of 

 birds ; and no dove cote, however lofty it may be, is safe 

 when a Marten is in the neighborliood. Beech Martens 

 make a mewing sound, not unlike that of a cat, and a pair 

 of them in a tree may be heard quite a distance. They 

 are exceedingly bloodthirsty, but they have such a fond- 

 ness for certain kinds of fruits, like cherries and plums, 

 that in some parts of the continent of Europe the trunks of 

 fruit trees are washed with tobacco-juice, or petroleum, to 

 keep them awa5\ 



Natural Stone Marten fur has not been very popular 

 for some time, but many of the skins are being dyed to 

 imitate blended Sable, and this creates a demand which 

 serves to keep the price about normal. 



Professor RoUeston thought that the Ailouvos of the 

 Greeks was a white breasted Beech Marten. The darkest 

 skins come from Spain, Italy and France ; and the finest 

 from Bosnia. Stone Martens are very numerous in Rus- 

 sia, but their fur is coarse and light in color. 



The Japanese IMarten (Mustela-melanopus) has a yellow- 

 ish underfur. almost white. 



INDIAN MARTEN. 



The Indian IMarten (Mustela-flavigula), is the hand- 

 somest member of the group. It is from twenty to twenty- 

 two inches long, vv^ith a seventeen to twenty inch tail. It 

 can be distinguished by its beautiful coloration. The fur 

 is generally short, but longer on the animals caught on the 

 Himalayas than on those taken in the Nilgiri section. The 

 color of the upper part of the head, neck, rump, tail and 

 limbs is a blackish brown or black, the middle of the back 

 being of a paler brown; the chin and upper part of the 

 throat are white, the lower part of the throat and chest 

 being orange, broA\'nish yellow, or pure yellow. This ani- 

 mal is found onlv on the denselv wooded hills, and is not 



