472 
THE STORY OF THE MARTEN . 
in the best condition. The fur is not nearly so valuable as that of the 
American marten; the usual price being about a dollar and a half per skin. 
In the European markets the fur is generally known as Virginian polecat. 
Readily distinguished from all the other species by its more brilliant 
color and the greater relative length of the tail, which is fully equal to two- 
thirds that of the head and body, the Indian marten is the handsomest mem¬ 
ber of the group. The soles of the feet are partially naked, although this 
character is less marked in Himalayan specimens than in those from more 
easterly regions. 
The fur is generally short, although longer in the Himalayan than in 
other examples, and has a thick, woody under-fur during the winter. There 
are two varieties of this animal, one of which is more brightly colored than 
the other. In the former, or common Indian type, the upper part of the 
head and neck, the rump, the tail, and the limbs, are either glossy blackish 
brown or black; while the middle of the back is of a paler brown, sometimes 
with a whitish tinge. The chin and upper part of the throat are white, while 
the lower throat and chest are either of a brilliant orange, brownish yellow, 
or pure yellow tint. In the second variety, with the exception of the white 
chin and throat and the pale yellow chest, the whole of the fur is dark brown. 
The length of the head and body varies from 20 to 22 inches, and that of the 
tail, inclusive of the hair at the tip, from 17 to 20 inches. The Indian marten 
is found throughout the Himalaya, from the regions to the westward of 
Kashmir to Eastern Assam, and thence through the hilly districts of Burma 
to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. In Peninsular India it occurs on the 
Nilgiri and Travancore Hills; whilst to the eastward its range extends as far 
as South China and Amurland. 
This marten is only found where the hills are thickly clothed with for¬ 
est, and is by no means exclusively nocturnal. Although apparently far 
from uncommon in the Himalaya, it is, according to the writer’s personal 
experience, but seldom seen. He had, however, once the good fortune to see 
a pair of these handsome animals descend from the trees, and gambol in a 
forest-glade at a short distance from his position. It may sometimes be 
seen in parties of five or six, hunting for prey either among brushwood or 
on the branches of trees. When on the move, it is continually uttering a 
kind of low chuckle, prolonged into a harsh cry when it becomes excited. 
Its food, which includes large insects, appears to be very similar to that of 
the other martens, but it is reported to kill young deer. 
