Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders

Description:

Fisher (Martes pennanti) Identifier: familiarlifeinfi00math (find matches)
Title: Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Mathews, F. Schuyler (Ferdinand Schuyler), 1854-1938 Underwood, William Lyman, phot
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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of northern New Hampshire andMaine. Besides the few furs which come into themarket from the northeastern States, there are alarge number which come from the vicinity of LakeSuperior, Canada, the Northwest, and the Pacificcoast. The parallel of 35° is considered by ElliottCoues the fishers southern limit. The name of the animal is somewhat misapplied,as he does no fishing for himself unless it is on theborders of the pond. On the whole the fisher is mostdecidedly arboreal; he spends a great deal of histime exploring the trees for his prey. He is agileand muscular to a degree almost exceeding the ath-letic accomplishments of the cat tribe, and it is saidthat he can make a descending bound of forty feet, FURRY FRIENDS WITH FINE SKINS. 119 never failing at the end to secure his prey. He is,in fact, the expert climber of the family to which hebelongs. In a race with the raccoon the lattersheels are not lively enough to save his hide ; thepoor coon has not a ghost of a chance. I copy what
Text Appearing After Image:
He spends a great deal ofhis time exploring thetrees for his prey. Mr. Peter Eeid, of Washington County, New York,has said long years ago on that point: While hunt-ing early one winter 1 found the carcass of a freshlykilled sheep, and by the tracks around it in the lightsnow perceived that a fisher had surprised a raccoonat the feast. A hard chase had ensued, the raccoontacking at full speed to avoid his pursuer, the fisheroutrunning and continually confronting his intended 120 FAMILIAR LIFE m FIELD AND FOREST. victim. I saw where at length the fisher had madean assault, and where a bloody contest had evidentlyensued. The raccoon, worsted in the encounter, hadagain broken away and the chase was resumed, butwith diminished energy on the part of the raccoon;the animal had been soon overtaken again, and a stillmore desperate encounter had taken place. Thecoon had failed fast, and it had at last become mere-ly a running fight, when both animals had entereda swamp where it was impossible f

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