118 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOREST. 



pine's quills arranged like papers of needles through- 

 out its length, but they did not penetrate the sides. 

 Many were imbedded in the neck muscles, and in the 

 head, chest, back, and legs, but no inflammation was 

 caused. The needles were about two and a half 

 inches long." 



The fisher is an inhabitant of the wilderness, and 

 in the northern woods he is occasionally seen prowl- 

 ing about the vicinity of lonesome ponds and ever- 

 green swamps. Dr. Merriam states that the fisher 

 has been found of late years in the Adirondack 

 woods, and to my certain knowledge he still exists in 

 the secluded forests of northern New Hampshire and 

 Maine. Besides the few furs which come into the 

 market from the northeastern States, there are a 

 large number which come from the vicinity of Lake 

 Superior, Canada, the Northwest, and the Pacific 

 coast. The parallel of 35° is considered by Elliott 

 Coues the fisher's southern limit. 



The name of the animal is somewhat misapplied, 

 as he does no fishing for himself unless it is on the 

 borders of the pond. On the whole the fisher is most 

 decidedly arboreal ; he spends a great deal of his 

 time exploring the trees for his prey. He is agile 

 and muscular to a degree almost exceeding the ath- 

 letic accomphshments of the cat tribe, and it is said 

 that he can make a descending bound of forty feet, 



