1 8 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



Great Barrock Fell, April 1857. 1 In prehistoric days the Mart 

 no doubt enjoyed a much more general distribution ; possibly it 

 ranged through the forest lands of the Cumbrian plain and the 

 bottom of the valleys. Its existence in our midst in those early 

 times has been proved by the discovery of teeth, in a fine state 

 of preservation, obtained from the fissures of Helsfell. The 

 * Marts ' of the present century frequent the high mountains 

 of Central and Western Lakeland, including Kentmere, Long 

 Sleddale, Hawswater, Mardale, Martindale, Patterdale, Grasmere, 

 Kirkstone Pass, in Westmorland ; Borrowdale, Eskdale, Enner- 

 dale, and Wastdale, in Cumberland ; Ulpha and Coniston, in 

 North Lancashire. ' Marts ' have been hunted in all these 

 districts, but they appear to have been most numerous for the 

 last sixty years in Eskdale and Wastdale. ' Gay smittle ground 

 is Coniston/ quoth old Lindsay ; adding, a moment later, that 

 he thought Ennerdale almost as good. 



The Marten is almost compelled to live on the roughest and 

 most broken ground that it can find, because on an open, level 

 plain it could easily be run down even by a fast cur-dog. On 

 a fine day the Marten is generally to be found sunning itself, 

 half-hidden among the briars and ling of some lofty crag. The 

 animal travels almost exclusively by night, when it wanders 

 considerable distances in search of carrion, upon which it largely 

 subsists. It is fond of feeding on birds, but, curious to say, the 

 most attractive bait that can be used for the Marten is fish. 

 Shepherds sometimes complain of individual Martens worrying 

 sheep, but it rarely happens that any such loss is inflicted on 

 the farmers, whose worst enemies are the Foxes. Mr, Lindsay 

 can vouch only for two cases, within his personal knowledge, of 

 Martens ivorrying sheep. In one case the ' Mart ' had killed an 

 old ewe. In the second instance, a ' Mart/ which had worried 

 two lambs, was hunted and killed in the ' screes/ Wastdale. 



Daring as are the leaps which these small animals venture to 

 make when hard pressed by dogs, Mr. Lindsay remembers only 

 one involuntary fatality. The Marten in question tried to leap 

 from one ledge to another, but missed its footing and was 

 dashed to pieces. 



1 Carlisle Journal, April 24, 1857- 



