THE BRITISH MARTEN. 137 



nests. I consider the Marten-cat one of the quickest animals we 

 have ; much sagacity, very shy, quick as lightning (the Squirrel 

 I consider only second to the Marten-cat). My practice was to 

 start and be in the coverts at daybreak, placing my guns (from 

 knowing the likely trees in the woods) in different directions. 

 Then I proceeded with my two couple of fox terriers, aud if a 

 ' cat ' was in the covert it was sure to be found. One fine 

 morning early, about forty years ago, I wended my way (with 

 other keepers) to a celebrated wood, called Odell Wood, in 

 Bedfordshire, where the Hon. Grantley Berkeley hunted the 

 Oakley country (many a good day I have had with him ; he knew 

 Odell Wood well, a favourite woodland covert). Shortly after 

 entering we got on a drag of a Marten-cat (my terriers never 

 deceiving me). It was soon on its legs from tree to tree : scent 

 glorious. Having killed 'cats' in the neighbourhood before, I 

 knew the places of resort ; made my way to an old favourite ivied 

 tree, an old doddrel (as they are called in this part of the country), 

 planted myself with my back against the oak, having the wind 

 in my favour. After running the ' cat ' for upwards of two 

 hours (it having evaded the guns), up it came to the tree I 

 expected : gun up immediately, but before I could take aim, I lost 

 sight of it. My suspicions caused me to ascend the tree : looking 

 into a Woodpecker's hole [?] and listening, heard a noise. My 

 conclusion was the ' cat ' was there. How to get it out was a 

 consideration. That difficulty I soon surmounted ; first I gave 

 the ' view-halloo,' stopped the hole up with my handkerchief, 

 kept the terriers at bay ; off with my fustian jacket, tied up the 

 cuff of the sleeve, put the shoulder part to the hole, and tapped 

 the tree. Out came the ' cat ' into the sleeve ; tied that up, and 

 gave it as security to one of my men for the purpose of blooding 

 my terriers. But curiosity led me to look into the hole, when 

 something hissed and spat at me. I began to cut the tree 

 (having got a hatchet), and found to my delight four kittens.* 

 Suspecting the old ' cat ' was a vixen from her shaggy fur, I took 



been made. Pennant, in his ' Caledonian Zoology,' says of the Pine Marten 

 that it is " found in pine forests, and takes possession of the holes made by 

 the Woodpecker." But see Mr. Harvie Brown's commentary on this 

 passage ('Annals of Scottish Natural History,' vol. i. (1892), p. 16). — Ed. 



* A cavity large enough to contain a full-grown Marten and four young 

 ones could hardly have been the hole of a Woodpecker. — Ed, 



ZOOLOGIST. APRIL, 1892. M 



