The " Fisher'' or FeJcan. 119 



The Fisher or Pekan is about the size of a small fox, of a ge- 

 neral dark brown or nearly black colour, frequents swampy lands, 

 and preys upon fish, frogs, squirrels, mice, and other small ani- 

 mals. It is found all over the continent as far south as the Caro- 

 licas. In the newly settled portions of Canada, it occurs rarely, 

 but wherever there is a dense population, it never is seen. 



Very little appears to be known of the habits of this the larg- 

 est true marten of North America. The hunters complain that, 

 like the carcajou, the fisher will follow a line of marten traps- 

 breaking them in pieces and devouring the bait. 



We know of at least one instance of this kind. A school 

 teacher in one of the new townships occupied his leisure hours 

 in trapping various animals. Several times in succession he found 

 that an animal of some kind had gone the whole of his round and 

 not only stolen all his bait, but had even torn a marten to pieces 

 which had been caught. In order to arrive at some further ac- 

 quaintance with this mysterious visitor, he set a stout steel trap 

 baited with a bird near one of his " dead-falls," and the next 

 morning found secured in it a large fisher, who made a fierce bat- 

 tle with the dog, although one of his legs was fast in the trap. 

 Another was shot near Port Hope in Upper Canada, by a hun- 

 ter named Marsh, who said it was up a tree in pursuit of a mar- 

 ten. Marsh killed thera both. Sir John Richardson says the 

 fisher preys much upon fro,2;s, but will also kill the Caru.d:; t '•)r- 

 cupine by biting it in the belly. About forty years ago, when 

 this animal was more common in the state of New York, the hun- 

 ters used to obtain them by following their tracks in the snow, 

 when the auimals had been out in quest of food on the previous 

 night, thus tracing them to the hollow trees in which they were 

 concealed, which they chopped down. It is said that as the tree 

 was falling, the fisher would dart from the hollow which was often 

 fifty feet from the ground, and leap into the snow, when the dogs 

 usually seized and killed him, although not without a hard strug- 

 gle, as this animal is greatly more dangerous to dogs and hounds 

 than either the grey or red fox. 



When taken alive and kept in confinement, it is said they are 

 usually sullen and voracious, growling, snapping and spitting 

 when approached. They are nocturnal in their habits, although 

 sometimes seen abroad during the day. 



It is said they bring forth once a year, depositing their young 

 in the trunk of a large tree usually thirty or forty feet from the 

 ground. A female was killed in the month of April pregnant 

 with three young. 



