The Sable. 
05 
from all others, its peculiarity being, that the hair turns 
with equal ease either way; on which account fur 
dealers sometimes blow the fur of any article they may 
be selling, to show that it is really Sable. The tails are 
sold by the hundred, at from four to eight pounds. 
The American Sable (M. leucopus) is considered to 
be a distinct species. 
The common, or Beech Martkn, (Mustda Martes or 
Martes foina,) like the Sable, boasts the honour cf adorn- 
ing with his fur the rich and the beautiful ; as princes, 
ladies, and opulent people of all nations, pride them- 
selves in wearing his spoils. He is about as big as 
a cat, but his body is much longer proportionately, and 
the legs shorter. His skin is of a light brown, with 
white under the throat. The fur of the Marten fetches 
a good price, and is much used in European countries, 
though very far inferior to that of the Sable : the best, 
which is called Stone Marten fur by the furriers, is 
imported from Sweden and Eussia. 
