106 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS, | [cuap. x11. 
nothing on the spot where I had put my trap but a heap of 
ieaves, some dry and some green; I was just going to move them 
with my hand, when I lucaily diseerned a pair of bright eyes 
peering sharply out of the leaves, and discovered that I had 
caught a large marten, who, finding that he could not escape, 
had collected all the leaves within his reach, and had quite con- 
cealed himself under them. The moment he found that he was 
discovered, he attacked me most courageously, as the marten 
always does, fighting to the last. I had other opportunities of 
satisfying myself that this animal is a great fruit-eater, feeding 
much on the wild raspberries, and even viackberries that grow 
in the woods. Though generally inhabiting cairns of stones, the 
marten sometimes takes possession of some large bird’s nest, and 
relining it, there brings up her young, who are remarkably 
pretty little creatures. J endeavoured once to rear and tame a 
litter of young martens which I found in an old crow’s nest, 
and I believe I should have succeeded had not a terrier got at 
them in my absence, and revenged himself on them for the 
numerous bites he had felt from martens and polecats in his 
different encounters with them. I have more frequently seen 
this animal abroad during the day time than any of the other 
weasels. 
I remember starting one amongst the long heather in the very 
midst of a pack of dogs of a Highland fox-hunter: though all 
the dogs, greyhounds, fox-hounds, and terriers, were immediately 
in full pursuit, the nimble little fellow escaped them all, jump- 
ing over one dog, under another, through the legs of a third, 
and finally getting off into a rocky cairn, whence he could not be 
ejected. ‘It’s the evil speerit hersell,” said the old man, as, 
aiming a blow at the marten, he nearly broke the back of one 
of his best lurchers. Nor did he get over his annoyance at 
seeing his dogs so completely baffled, till after many a Gaelic 
curse at the beast and many a pinch of snuff. The marten-cat 
is accused by the shepherds of destroying a great many sheep. 
His manner of attack is said to be by seizing the unfortunate 
sheep by the nose, which he eats away, till the animal is either 
destroyed on the spot or dies a lingering death. I have been 
repeatedly told this by different Highland shepherds and others, 
and believe it to be a true accusation. They kill numbers of 
