Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 387 



Mustela pennanti Erxleben. 

 Fisher. Pekan. Pennant's Marten. 



[Muslela] pennanti Erxleben, Syst. Regni Anim., I, 1777, p. 470. 



Mustela Canadensis Lapham, Trans. Wis. State Agr, Soc, II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 

 (Wisconsin?). Kennicott, Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578 

 (Cook Co., Illinois). 



Mustela pennantii Kennicott, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Kept., 1859, 

 p. 241 (northern Illinois). Thomas, Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc, IV, 1859-60 

 (1861), p. 654 (Illinois). Miles, Rept. Geo!. Surv. Mich., I, i860 (1861), p. 220 

 (Michigan). Strong, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, (1883), p. 436 (Wis- 

 consin). 



Mustela pennanti Herrick, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 103 

 (Minnesota). Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 198 (Ten- 

 nessee). Hahn, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), 

 p. 587 (Indiana). 



Type locality — Eastern Canada. 



Distribution — Northern North America from the Atlantic nearly to 

 the Pacific and from Hudson Bay to the region of the Great Lakes 

 and further south in the Allegheny Mountains; in the Northwest 

 its range extends to at least latitude 60°; replaced on the Pacific 

 Coast by M. pacifica, sl closely allied form. 

 Description — Larger and darker than M. americana, and lacking the 

 pale throat patch; ears rather low and rounded; under parts, legs, 

 end of tail and lower portion of back very dark brown or blackish 

 brown; head and shoulders grizzly gray, much lighter than the 

 rest; lining of ear whitish; claws brownish white; tail bushy. The 

 females are smaller than the males. 

 Measurements — Total length, about 35 in. (890 mm.); tail vertebrae, 

 13.50 in. (343 mm.); hind foot, 4.25 in. (108 mm.). 

 Although for many years the Fisher has been supposed to be extinct 

 in Wisconsin, it is by no means improbable that a few individuals may 

 still exist in some of the extreme northern counties. I am informed by 

 hunters that it is occasionally taken in the wilder portions of the Mich- 

 igan peninsula and there are three specimens from Michigan in the 

 Field Museum collection; two from Park Siding, Iron Co., taken in 

 1900, and another from Amasa, Iron Co., taken in 1898. Mr. Charles 

 Brandler informs me that he saw a Fisher which had been killed by 

 William Robinson in November, 1900, south of Iron Mountain between 

 that place and Pembine, Florence Co., Wisconsin, the locality being 

 either actually in Wisconsin or very close to the state line. In early 

 days its range extended south to northern Illinois. Kennicott records 

 it from Cook Co., Illinois, and says: ''The Fisher used frequently to 



