30 



OKDEES OF MAMMALS- 



The Marten 1 looks very much like a young 

 red fox, and in size it is about as heavy as an 

 ordinary domestic cat. Its head and body 

 length is 17 inches, and its tail 7 inches. The 

 body is brownish yellow, the legs are two or 

 three shades darker, and it has three kinds of 

 hair. It loves timber, and spends much of its 

 time in trees. It is rarely found in open country, 

 and is most abundant on rugged and rocky for- 

 est-covered mountains. 



The Marten is not a poultry-killer, nor a wan- 



-FLESH-EATERS 



in America. It is a bold, active tree-climber, an 

 industrious hunter, an aggressive fighter, and 

 as a stealer of baits it is almost as great a nui- 

 sance to trappers as the hated wolverine. With 

 this animal, "all's fish that cometh to net," 

 and with equal relish it devours dead fish, rab- 

 bits, squirrels, chipmunks, ground birds, snakes, 

 toads and frogs. Occasionally it murders its 

 own cousin, the pine marten, and even feeds 

 upon the Canada porcupine. 



The Fisher is at home in the swamps or the 



THE WOLVERINE. 



ton murderer of more game than he can eat, but 

 he lives^by honest hunting of wild game. His 

 food consists of small rodents, birds, eggs, or 

 ■even an occasional reptile. In the United 

 States this animal is now rare, for its fur has 

 always been highly prized. It is often called 

 the Pine Marten. 



The Fisher, or Pennant's Marten, 2 is one 

 of the largest members of the Marten Family 

 1 Mus-te'la americana. ! Mus-le'la ■pen'nant-i. 



rocky mountain-sides of northern New York, 

 and in the forest regions of North America 

 generally from Maine and southern Labrador 

 to the Pacific coast. Northward it ranges to 

 Great Slave Lake and the Yukon River. In 

 color it varies from glossy black to dark brown, 

 with occasional gray, or grayish white, on head 

 and neck, chin, chest and abdomen. Its aver- 

 age length is 23 + 14 inches. The young vary 

 in numbers from two to three. 



