122 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOREST. 



wintergreen, and gold thread, and the wild, troubled 

 mountain stream bordered by lichen-painted rocks 

 and gnarled, moss-covered roots. Here we may see 

 his lithe, gliding body appear through the shadows, a 

 bright bit of warm color set in the sober green of the 

 forest. But the little animal is nocturnal in his habits, 

 and one gets a glimpse of him only once in a lifetime ; 

 if it is early spring, one may chance to catch sight of 

 the female in search of food for her young. Not in- 

 frequently she will be seen traversing the limbs of 

 the trees hunting for the nests of the thrush and 

 vireo. Martens are strictly arboreal in their habits, 

 and they are not known to attack poultry. Their 

 diet is usually mice in particular, and partridges, 

 birds, eggs, frogs, and the larger insects in general ; 

 they are expert climbers, and go bird's-nesting with 

 great success. As the whole group of MustelidcB is 

 characteristically carnivorous, I have grave doubts 

 about this animal eating nuts and berries, as some 

 writers aver. 



I have said that it was a pretty little animal ; at 

 the same time I can not give a description of one in- 

 dividual which will do for all. There is such a great 

 variety of color in the fur, due to season, age, and other 

 conditions, that a single marten's appearance is no 

 criterion for that of the genus. The particular ani- 

 mal which I remember best of all was tawny brown. 



