No. V.] 



ZOOLOGY. 



65] 



being much darker than the other, the band of lighter hairs which passes along the 

 sides and on the back of the animal near its tail, being very obscure ; the other 

 specimen, in which this marking is distinct, accords with the skin received from the 

 Hudson's Bay Company. 



The Pine Marten is every where abundant in the pine forests. Numbers of the 

 skins (in the last year near 90,000) are annually imported by the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, the fur being held in much estimation. The animal is sufficiently described 

 by all the writers on Natural History, being distinguished by the yellow or orange 

 colour of its throat from the Common Marten, (Mustela Foina) which is marked 

 similarly with white. The Common Marten inhabits the more temperate parts of 

 Europe, whilst the Pine Marten is confined to the northern regions, though it is equally 

 found in Europe and Asia as well as America. The two animals are very similar, 

 and it may be reasonably doubted whether they be not the same species. Considerable 

 difference is observable in the sizes of the two sexes of the Pine Marten, the male 

 being largest by full one third. The winter state of the animal is that in which it 

 is most known both to naturalists and traders ; in the summer, in common with the 

 other quadrupeds of Hudson's Bay, it loses the delicate fineness and brilliancy of its 

 fur, which becomes generally paler, especially about the head, and the yellow marks 

 on the throat ceasing to be distinct from the rest of the body, become a dingy white, 

 running into and blended with the lighter brown of the neighbouring parts. 



Strange confusion has existed both as to the name and habits of the Fisher. It is 

 said by Pennant, to be called Wejack ; Hearne notices the animal of that name and 

 the Shunk together, rather confusedly. Gmelin referred the Fisher of Pennant, the 

 first writer by whom it was described, to the Sable, (Mustela Zibellina) from which it 

 is distinguished, however, by its longer tapering tail, and by having its chin equally 

 dark with the rest of its body, neither white nor cinereous. Erxleben called it 

 M. Pennanti, and as this was its first specific appellation, it ought to be adopted 

 generally, in preference to M. Piscator, which though corresponding with its English 

 name, is not appropriate, since it does not feed on fish, but pursues the same 

 prey as the Pine Marten. The following description is from two specimens, one 

 sent home by Captain Franklin, the other belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company ; 

 both are imperfect, the former being without feet, and the latter, like all hunter's 

 skins, mutilated in the legs and, face. Length varying from twenty-four to thirty 

 inches, exclusive of the tail, which is from thirteen to fifteen inches long. The nose 

 is sharp, and the fur near it brown ; the whole of the fur on the upper part of the 



402 



Mustela Maries. 



Pine Marten. 



Mustela Pennanti. 



Fisher. 



