294 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



This animal is frequently found near rural habitations ; 

 and the female generally brings forth her young in barns, 

 or holes in rocks, which she takes care first to line with 

 moss. She generally produces from three to seven young 

 ones at a time. 



The Common Marten, {Mustela Abietum, Ray.) ' This 

 and the preceding species were confounded together by 

 Linnaeus, although it was distinguished by Ray, in his 

 excellent Synopsis of Quadrupeds, by the name of Martes 

 Abietum, with reference to its being found generally in 

 pine-forests. 



It is rather larger than the Beech Marten, the body, from 

 the nose to the anus, being about eighteen inches long, and 

 the tail about nine or ten inches. The fur, like that of the 

 preceding, is formed of two sorts of hair ; the first is long 

 and close, the base of which is ash-colour, but the middle 

 yellow, and the tips dark brown. The second sort of fur is 

 very fine, rather downy, of a yellowish ash-colour, and not 

 entirely hidden by the long hairs ; on the chest, fore legs, 

 and tail, it is brown black ; on the throat and neck clear 

 yellow. 



This animal is very wild, and hardly ever forsakes the 

 thick forest, where it climbs trees with the greatest faci- 

 lity, by the aid of its sharp claws, in search of birds and 

 their nests. It also attacks squirrels and other small 

 quadrupeds. In the spring the female brings forth two or 

 three young ones, which she generally places in the nest of 

 a squirrel that she has killed ; or in that of a buzzard, 

 owl, or some other bird of prey. It is found in the whole 

 of the north of Europe, and also in North America, near 

 Hudson's Bay. 



The skin of this species is three times as valuable as that 

 of the Beech or House Marten. 



The Sable {Mustela Zibellind) is universally known by 

 its rich fur. It is brown, with white spots about the head ; 



