HE PINE MARTEN.--Description of
the Animal.--Its Natural Characteristics.--Its Nocturnal Habits.--Its
Wonderful Stealth and Activity.--Its "Bill of Fare."--Its Strange mode
of Seizing Prey.--The Marten as a Pet.--Its Agreeable Odor.--Various
Traps Used in the Capture of the Marten.--Baits for the Marten.--The
Steel Trap.--Several Modes of Setting.--Directions for Skinning
the Animal.--THE FISHER.--Its Form and Color.--Its Habitation and
Young.--How the Animal is Trapped.--Various Methods.--The Spring
Pole.--Baits for the Fisher.--Principal Devices Used in its
Capture.--The Skin.--How
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Removed and Stretched.--THE SKUNK.--Its Fetid Stench.--Origin of
the Odor.--Its Effect on Man and Beast.--"Premonitory Symptoms"
of Attack.--Acrid Qualities of the Secretion.--Its Terrible Effect
on the Eyes.--Interesting Adventure with a Skunk.--"Appearances are
often Deceitful."--The Skunk as a Pet.--Color of the Animal.--Habits
of the Animal.--Its Food.--Its Young.--"Alaska Sable."--How to
Trap the Skunk.--Various Traps Used.--The Steel Trap.--Different
Modes of Setting.--Baits.--The Dead Fall.--Modifications in its
Construction.--The Twitch-up.--Its Peculiar Advantages for the
Capture of the Skunk.--Chloride of Lime as Antidote.--Method of
Eradicating the Odor from the Clothing.--Directions for Removing and
Stretching the Skin.--THE WOLVERINE.--Its Desperate Fierceness and
voracity.--Its General Characteristics.--Its Form and Color.--Food
of the Wolverine.--Its Trap-Robbing Propensities.--How to Trap the
Wolverine.--Baits.--Use of the "Medicine."--The Gun Trap and Dead
Fall.--The Steel Trap.--Various Modes of Setting.--Home and Young
of the Animal.--How the Skin should be Removed and Stretched.--THE
OPOSSUM.--Description of the Animal.--Its Nature and Habits.--Its
Home.--Remarkable Mode of Carrying its Young.--Nocturnal Habits of
the Animal.--Its Food.--Its Especial Fondness for Persimmons.--Its
Remarkable Tenacity as a Climber.--"Playing Possum."--How the Opossum
is Hunted.--How Trapped.--Various Devices Used in its Capture.--Scent
Baits.--How the Skin is Removed and Stretched.--THE RABBIT.--Wide-spread
Distribution of the Various Species.--Their Remarkable Powers of
Speed.--Nest of the Rabbit.--Its Prolific Offspring.--Food of the
Rabbit.--Its Enemies.--Various Devices Used in Trapping the
Animal.--Necessary Precautions in Skinning the Rabbit.--THE
WOODCHUCK.--Description of the Animal.--Its Habits.--Its Burrows.--Its
Fo