MAR 
long from the nofe to the tail; and the tail is 
about ten inches more. It differs from the pole- 
cat in being fome inches longer ; it's tail alfo is 
longer in proportion, and very bufhy at the ex- 
tremity; it's nofe is more flat; it's cry is fharper 
and more piercing ; it's colours are more elegant ; 
and, what ftill increafes it's beauty, it's fcent is by 
JIG means ofFenfive, but rather confidered as a 
moft grateful perfume. In fiiort, the Martin is 
the moft beautiful of all Britifn beafts of prey : the 
head is fmall, and elegantly formed ; the eyes are 
lively; the ears are broad, rounded, and open; 
the back, fides, and tail, are covered with a fine 
thick downy fur, with longer hair intermixed, 
the roots of which are cinereous, the middle bright 
chefnut, and the tips black; the head is brown, 
with a reddifh caft; the legs, and the upper fides of 
the feet, are of a chocolate colour; and the under 
fides are covered with a thick down, like that of 
the body. The feet are broad ; the claws are large 
and ftiarp, and extremely well adapted for the pur- 
pofe of climbing; but, as in all others of the 
weafel kind, incapable of being ftieathed. The 
throat and breaft are white ; the belly is of the 
fame colour with the back, except that it is rather 
paler; and the hair on the tail is very long, efpe- 
cially at it's infertion. 
The other variety of this animal, commonly 
called the Yellow-breafred Martin, ditfers not ef- 
fentially from the former, except that it has a yel- 
low breaft, whereas the other has a white one: the 
colour of the body alfo is darker; and, as it lives 
more in woods than the former, it's fur is more 
beautiful and gloffy, and confequently more va- 
uable, Buffbn calls the former variety the Fouine, 
the latter the Martin; and he fuppofes them to 
be a diilinft fpecies: but as they differ only in 
a few fhades of colour, it feems totally needlefs to 
confound the hiftory of nature with fuch trivial 
difcriminations. 
The Martin difplays much grace and agility in 
all it's motions; and there are few animals in our 
woods that will dare to encounter it. It eafily 
vanquifties quadrupeds much fuperior to it in 
magnitude: the hare, the fheep, and even the wild 
cat itfelf, though ftronger, is not a match for the 
Martin; and though carnivorous animals feldom 
fhew any defire of engaging each other, the wild- 
cat and the Martin are fuch inveterate enemies, 
that they feldom m.eet without a combat. Gefner 
mentions one which he domefticated, that was ex- 
tremely playful and pretty. It vifited the neigh- 
bouring houfes, and always returned home when 
hungry : it was particularly attached to a dog with 
W'hich it v^as bred up ; and ufed to play with it 
after the manner of a cat, lying on it's back, and 
biting without injury or anger. Buffon iikewife 
informs us, that he kept a tame Martin, though 
neither fo tradable nor fo fecial as the former: it 
v/as indeed divefted of it's ferocity, but continued 
without attachment; and was ftill fo wild, as ne- 
cefTarily to be confined by a chain. Whenever a 
cat appeared, it prepared for a combat ; and if any 
poultry came within it's reach, it darted on them 
with avidity. Tliough tied by the middle of it's 
body, it frequently efcaped. At firft, it returned 
after an abfence of a few hours, but without feem- 
ing to be fatisfied, and as if it's only motive was 
food; the fecond time it continued longer abroad; 
and, the third, returned no more. It was a fe- 
male; and, at the time of it's final departure, v/as 
about eighteen months old. It fed on whatever 
MAR 
was prefented to it, except fallad or herbs; and 
it was remarkably fond of honey. It drank often 
and fometimes flept for two days fucceffively ; and, 
in like manner, often continued two or three days 
without fleep. Before it compofed itfelf to reft, 
it drew itfelf up into a round figure, and hid it's 
head, covering it with it's tail. When awake, it 
feemed perpetually agitated; and evinced the moft 
predatory difpofition when any animal it could 
overpower chanced to come in it's way. 
France abounds more in both varieties of the 
Martin than Britain: however, vv'e have both 
kinds, though not very plentifully. The v/hite- 
breafted or conim.on Martin drav/s near to houfes 
and villages, in order to commit it's petty ravages 
among the flieep and poultry. The other variety 
frequents the woods, v/here it leads a very fiivao-e 
life, building it's neft on the tops of trees, and 
fubfifting entirely on fuch animals as are perfeftly 
v/ild like itfelf. On the approach of night, it ufu- 
ally quits it's folitude in queft of prey, huntinp- 
after fquirrels, rats, and rabbits : it alfo deftroys 
great numbers of birds, robs their nefts of the young 
and eggs, and frequently removes the latter to 
it's own, without in the leaft injuring their fiiells. 
Whenever the Martin finds itfelf purfued by 
dogs, (for v/hich purpole there is a peculiar 
breed) it inftantly makes for it's retreat, which is 
generally in the hollow of fome tree, towards the 
top, and which it is impofTible to reach without 
cutting down the trunk. It's neft is generally the 
original tenement of the fquirrel, on which that lit- 
tle animal beftowed abundant pains ; but the Mar- 
tin having difpoffeflfed and killed the proprietor, 
imxmediately enlarges it's dimenfions, improves 
the foftnefs of the bed, and there brings forth it's 
young. It's litter feldom exceeds three or four 
at a time ; and their eyes are at firft clofed, but 
in a fhort time they arrive at a ftate of perfeftion. 
To compcnfate for her deficiency of milk, the Mar- 
tin brings her brood eggs and birds, accuftorning 
them from the beginning to rapine and carnage. 
When flie conducts them from the neft into the 
woods, the birds fpeedily recognize their ene- 
mies, and attend them with every indication of 
alarm and animouty; and wherever the Martin 
proceeds with her cubs, a flock of fmall birds is 
obferved to threaten and infult her, alarming every 
thicket, and frequently directing the luinter in his 
purfuit. 
Thefe animals are much more numerous in 
North Aaierica than in any part of Europe. 
They are alfo found in all the northern parts of 
the world, from Siberia to China and Canada. 
In every country they are hunted for their furs, 
which are very valuable, particularly if procured 
at the beginning of winter; and many thoufands 
of their flcins are annually imported into England 
from Canada and Hudfon's Bay. 
MARTIN. The name alfo of a bird of the 
fwallow kind; the Hirundo Urbica of Linnteus. 
This bird is inferior to the fwallow in fize, and 
it's tail is lefs forked. The head, and the upper 
part of the body, except the rump, are black, 
gloiTed with blue; the breaft, belly, and rump, 
are white; and the feet are covered with a fhort 
white down. It forms it's neft under the eaves 
of houfes, with the fame materials, and in the 
fam.e form, as the houfe-fwallow ; except that it 
covers it above, leaving only a fmall hole for it's 
admifHon. During the period that the young 
brood continue in the neft, the old one feeds 
tliem. 
