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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: MAR-MEC |
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MARTEN ,' a name originally belonging to the pine-marten (Mustela martes), but now applied to all members of the same ' By all old authors, as Ray, Pennant, Shaw and Fleming, the word is written " Martin," but this form of spelling is now generally reserved for the bird (see MARTIN). The word, as applied to the animal here described, occurs in most Germanic and Romanic languages: German, marder; Dutch, marter; Swedish, mard; Danish, maar; English, marteron, martern, marten, martin and martlelt; French, marte and martre; Italian, martora andmartorella; Spanish and Portuguese, marta. Its earliest known use is in the form manes (Martial, Ep. x. 37), but it can scarcely be an old Latin word, as it is not found in Pliny or other classical writers, and Martial often introduced foreign words into his Latin. Its etymology hasgenus of carnivorous mammals (see CARNIVORA). Martens are limited to the northern hemisphere, ranging throughout the greater part of the northern temperate regions of both Old and New Worlds, and southwards in America to 35 N. lat., while in Asia one species is met with in Java. The species appear to be similar in their habits. They live in woods and rocky places, and spend most of their time in trees, although descending to the ground in quest of prey. They climb with great facility, and are agile and graceful in their movements. Some are said occasionally to resort to berries and other fruit for food, but as a rule they are carnivorous, feeding chiefly on birds and their eggs, small mammals, as squirrels, hares, rabbits and moles, but chiefly mice of various kinds, and occasionally snakes
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supply the demand of the fur trade, Siberia and North America being the principal localities from which they are obtained.With the exception of the pekan (M. pennanti), the martens are much alike in size, general colouring and cranial and dental characters. The following description by Dr Elliott Coues of the American marten (M. americana) will apply almost equally well to most of the others. " It is almost impossible to describe the colour of the marten, except in general terms, without going into the details of the endless diversities occasioned by age, sex, season, or other incidents. The animal is ' brown,' of a shade from orange or tawny to quite blackish; the tail and feet are ordinarily the darkest, the head lightest, often quite whitish; the ears usually have a whitish rim, while on the throat there is usually a large tawny-yellowish or orange-brown patch, from the chin to the fore legs, sometimes entire, sometimes broken into a number of smaller, irregular blotches, sometimes wanting, sometimes prolonged on the whole under surface, when the animal is bicolor like a stoat in summer. The general ' brown' has a greyish cast, as far as the under fur is concerned, and is overlaid with rich lustrous blackish-brown in places where the long bristly hairs prevail. The claws are whitish; the naked nose pad and whiskers are black. The tail occasionally shows interspersed white hairs, or a white tip." The following are the best-known species : Mustela foina: the beech-marten, stone-marten or white-breasted marten.Distinguished from the following by the greater breadth of the skull, and some minute but constant dental characters, by the dull greyish-brown colour of the fur of the upper parts and the pure white of the throat and breast. It inhabits the greater part of the continent of Europe, but is more southern than the next in its distribution, not being found in Sweden or Norway. M. martes, the pine-marten (see figure).Fur rich dark brown; under fur reddish-grey, with clear yellow tips; breast spot usually yellow, varying from bright orange to pale cream-colour or yellowish-white. Length of head and body
been connected with the German " martern," to torment. A second Romanic name for the same animal is fuina, in French fouine. The term " Marten Cat ' is also used. the hair ) 9 to 12 in. This species is extensively distributed throughout northern Europe and Asia, and was formerly common in most parts of Great Britain and Ireland. It is still found in the northern counties of England and North Wales, but in decreasing numbers. In Scotland it is rare, but in Ireland may be found in almost every county occasionally. Though commonly calledUi The Pine-Marten (Mustela mattes). " pine-marten," it does not appear to have any special
Next comes M. zibellina, the sable (German, Zobel and Zebel ; Swedish, sabel; Russian, Sobel, a word probably of Turanian origin), which closely resembles the last, if indeed it differs except in the quality of the furthe most highly valued of that of all the group. The sable is found chiefly in eastern Siberia. Very distinct is the brilliantly coloured orange-and-black Indian marten (M. flavigula), found from the Himalaya and Ceylon to Java. The North American M. americana is closely allied to the pine-marten and Asiatic sable. The importance of the fur of this animal as an article of commerce may be judged of from the fact that 15,000 skins were sold in one year by the Hudson's Bay Company as long ago as 1743. It is ordinarily caught in wooden traps of simple construction, being little enclosures of stakes or brush in which the bait is placed upon a trigger, with a short upright stick supporting a log of wood
The pekan or Pennant's marten, also called fisher marten, though there appears to be nothing in its habits to justify the appellation, is the largest of the group, the head and body
(W. H. F.) End of Article: MARTEN If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
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