xlii Carnivora . MAMMALIA. Carnivora. 
velopment. In tlie Upper Miocene of Shvalik Hills, 
North-west India, species of Lutra and Melivora are 
found, as well as the e.xtinct genera Enhydrion and 
Ursitaxns. During the Miocene Period there were 
none in North America, apparently. 
Mustela. — Linn. 
The genus INfustela, the typical one of the Sub- 
Fanilly Mmtelince has thirty-eight teeth, one mo- 
lar in each upper jaw, and two in the lower. The 
premolars are four in number on each side, above 
and below. 'J’he lower sectorial tooth has a small 
tubercle on its inner surface. The body is slender, 
and the tail is long. The genus includes the Martens, 
in distinction from the Weasels. They have a large 
range over the globe, but two only belong to North 
America. One of these — the Fisher — is the largest 
of the race, and the other is a close relative of the 
Pine Marten of Europe. 
The teeth are as follows : Incisors, f-§- ; Canines, 
1-| ; Premolars, ; Molars, ; iS = 38. 
THE FISHEK, OR BLACK CAT {Mustela pennantii, 
Erxl.) — This is the largest known species of the 
family. It is a handsome animal, having quite a re- 
semblance to the Fox ; its bushy tail and large size 
make it an attractive creature. It is, however, one 
that is less known, probably, than most of our Mam- 
malia. Buffon described this species under the tri- 
vial name Pekan. Godman calls it Pennant’s Marten. 
In New York it is known by the hunters as the 
Black Cat. In Massachusetts it is called the Fisher 
Weasel. Thirty years ago the Fisher was abundant in 
the northern portions of the Middle States. It is 
nearly a nocturnal animal, and lives mostly on small 
quadrupeds ; it also eats fish, frogs, &c., but does not 
live on fish so exclusively as to give any reasonable 
color for its name ; yet it is best known as the Fisher. 
It climbs trees easily, and has, in many respects, the 
habits of the Eaccoon. According to Richardson, 
it bears out its reputation as a Fisher by eating up 
the dried fish of the natives of the cold regions. The 
Fisher is hunted regularly in Canada, where it is 
very numerous, and even troublesome. The season 
commences about the 10th of October, and lasts to 
the middle of May, when the furs are not so valuable. 
The ordinary price is $1.50 per skin. The geograph- 
ical range is between the fourteenth and seventeenth 
parallels of North latitude, extending across the 
continent. It brings forth two young at a birth, 
annually. 
Its specific characters are : Grayish over the head 
and anterior parts of the body; dark brown or black 
behind ; tail bushy ; the largest of the genus ; the 
fur is long, fine and lustrous, increasing in length on 
the posterior parts of the animal ; it is longer and 
blacker in winter. Audubon regards it as having 
diminished in numbers greatly, even in the thinly- 
settled portions of the country. Very little of its 
history or habits is known or has been written. He 
occasionally met with it, but says : “ With us it is 
far from a common species.” This means more, com- 
ing from Audubon, than from any other observer and 
writer on this subject, for who has traversed, as he 
has, the wild wood-land, the deep forests, and the 
mountainous plains, with an eye open to everything 
that occurs ? Audubon was called on one occasion 
by his servant, rather hastily, to shoot some creature, 
when it was found to be a fine specimen of the 
Fisher. He wished to study its habits, and allowed 
it to remain unmolested. It had climbed to the top 
of a tall tree, on which a grape vine had entwined 
itself. He shook the vine vigorously, and teased it 
in a gentle manner, when the creature became in- 
tensely furious. It leaped from one bough to an- 
other, showing its teeth, and hissing or growling. 
Now it would run half way down the trunk, 
elevating its back like an angry cat. It fell only 
after several discharges of the gun, showing great 
tenacity of life. This proved to be a male, and 
measured twenty-five inches in length ; and the tail, 
including the fur, fifteen inches. On another occa- 
sion, Audubon saw a Fisher chase a Squirrel, both 
passing him, in their eagerness, unconcernedly; they 
were at full speed, and, in this case certainly, the 
Fisher would have proved the faster, for nothing could 
have saved the Squirrel had not a friendly ti’ee inter- 
vened, upon which it leaped, and instantly put itself 
out of reach on the slender branches, finding there a 
snre haven that the enemy dare not invade, though 
he unhesitatingly followed as far as he dared go. 
The Squirrel was so terrified, it did not let well 
enough alone, but dropped to the ground from the 
highest part of the tree ; the Fisher followed down 
the trunk ; but Audubon was so incensed at this evi- 
dent attempt at jockeying that he immediately inter- 
fered, and saved the life of the Squirrel, which, had 
the Fisher fairly followed, he would have regarded as 
fair game. This occurred on a warm morning of 
July, which is some proof that this animal is not 
altogether nocturnal in habits. It is not uncommon 
for other animals, that are regarded as nocturnal in 
habits during some portion of the year, to go out at 
mid-day, when pushed by hunger. The hunters say 
that the Fisher is only taken at night in traps. 
Lewis and Clark saw it chase the Raccoon from tree 
to tree, in a long and well-contested run. Richardson 
says that it feeds much on frogs in the winter, and 
learns from the backwoodsmen that its favorite food 
is the Canada Porcupine, which it will kill by biting 
in its belly — a pretty difficult feat, it should be said, 
judging from the known habits of the latter. The 
Fisher is found at the north as far as the Great Slave 
Lake, at Labrador, and extends to the Pacific Coast. 
Audubon saw it on the mountains of Virginia. Lewis 
and Clark met with it at the mouth of the Columbia 
River. 
AMERICAN SABLE {Mustela americana, Tar- 
ton) — Plate I., fig. iii. — 'I’he Sable of the hunters of 
New York and other Northern States, resembles 
closely the Pine Marten of Europe ; its fur is beauti- 
ful, and is a much valued article of the trapper. Like 
many others, it is more valuable the further north it 
is obtained. 
The Sable is a very active, pretty creature, inhabit- 
ing the elevated and woody portions of the country. 
