30 
ORDERS OF MAMMALS— FLESH-EATERS 
The Marten 1 looks very much like a young 
red fox, and in size it is about as heavy as an 
ordinary domestic cat. Its head and body 
length is 17 inches, and its tail 7 inches. The 
body is brownish yellow, the legs are two or 
three shades darker, and it has three kinds of 
hair. It loves timber, and spends much of its 
time in trees. It is rarely found in open country, 
and is most abundant on rugged and rocky for- 
est-covered mountains. 
The Marten is not a poultry-killer, nor a wan- 
in America. It is a bold, active tree-climber, an 
industrious hunter, an aggressive fighter, and 
as a stealer of baits it is almost as great a nui- 
sance to trappers as the hated wolverine. With 
this animal, “all’s fish that cometh to net,” 
and with equal relish it devours dead fish, rab- 
bits, squirrels, chipmunks, ground birds, snakes, 
toads and frogs. Occasionally it murders its 
own cousin, the pine marten, and even feeds 
upoji the Canada porcupine. 
The Fisher is at home in the swamps or the 
THE WOLVERINE. 
ton murderer of more game than he can eat, but 
he lives by honest hunting of wild game. His 
food consists of small rodents, birds, eggs, or 
even an occasional reptile. In the United 
States this animal is now rare, for its fur has 
always been highly prized. It is often called 
the Pine Marten. 
The Fisher, or Pennant’s Marten , 2 is one 
of the largest members of the Marten Family 
1 Mus-te'la americana. 2 Mus-te'la pen'nant-i. 
rocky mountain-sides of northern New York, 
and in the forest regions of North America 
generally from Maine and southern Labrador 
to the Pacific coast. Northward it ranges to 
Great Slave Lake and the Yukon River. In 
color it varies from glossy black to dark brown, 
with occasional gray, or grayish white, on head 
and neck, chin, chest and abdomen. Its aver- 
age length is 23 + 14 inches. The young vary 
in numbers from two to three. 
