The pine-marten, a species of weasel, obtains its name from being found
amid pine-forests, and from its habit of climbing the trunks of pines in
search of prey. It is a fierce and savage creature, choosing to live
alone, away from the haunts of man. It is from eighteen to twenty
inches in length--with a tail measuring about ten inches--and is covered
with long bushy hair. Moving without difficulty among the branches, it
seizes many an unfortunate bird in its deadly gripe before its victim
can take to flight--robbing also the nest of the eggs within it.
It is common in Europe, as well as in America; but in the cold regions
of the Hudson Bay Company it is hunted for the sake of its skin, which
is, when blanched during the winter's cold, scarcely inferior to that of
the celebrated sable.
When pursued and overtaken, it stands at bay, exhibiting its teeth,
erecting its hair, arching its back, and hissing like a cat. It forms
its burrows in the ground, the female producing, a litter of from four
to seven. Like other animals of its tribe, it emits a peculiar musky
smell.