FISHER, a carnivorous digitigrade mammal,
belonging to the family mustelidæ, subfamily
martinæ, and genus mustela (Linn.); this animal
(called also Pennant's marten, black cat,
and pekan) and the pine marten are the only
two species of the genus found in North
America. The fisher (M. Pennantii, Erxl.) is
the largest known species, the length of the
body being over 2 ft., and the tail 1¼ ft. The
dental formula is:
incisors 33——33,
canines 11——11,
premolars 44——44,
molars, 12——12 = 1820,
38 in all; the
lower carnivorous tooth has a rounded lobe
on the inner side, indicating a less sanguinary
disposition than that of the weasels. The
general appearance is fox-like; the head is long
and muzzle rather pointed; the ears short,
rounded, and wide; the eyes large; body
slender; tail long and bushy at the base; feet
short, stout, and armed with strong sharp
claws, five on each foot; no anal pouch, but a
small gland which secretes a musky fluid. The
fur is of two kinds, the outer long and coarse,
the inner fine and soft. The general color is
blackish, with a grayish tinge on the head and
shoulders; some specimens are brownish, and
a few with light tints; there is sometimes a
white spot on the throat. Specimens vary so
much in size and coloration that it has been
supposed that two species are confounded
under the name. A specimen measuring 23
in. in length of body, with the tail 14 in., would
weigh about 8½ lbs. Occasionally seen in
Pennsylvania and New York, and even as far
south as North Carolina, it is common in Canada
and in the Lake Superior mineral region;
it is found as far north as lat. 63°, and across
the continent to the Pacific. It is eminently
an arboreal species, very agile, though less so
than the squirrel, which it is fond of pursuing;
it is generally nocturnal in its habits; it preys
upon hares, raccoons, squirrels, grouse, mice,
and any small bird or quadruped which it can
seize. Though called fisher, there is no
certain evidence that it catches fish, but it is fond
of the fish with which the hunter baits his
traps for the pine marten; in this respect the
fisher is a great nuisance, as it breaks into the
traps from behind, sometimes robbing every
one in a line of miles, escaping itself and
preventing the capture of the more valuable pine
marten. Fishers have been often kept in
confinement, where they become docile if taken
when young; but the temper is very changeable,
and they quickly become angry without
apparent cause. From their agility, strength,
and ferocity, they are difficult to obtain unless
severely wounded. Like the other fur-bearing
animals, the fisher's pelage is finest in winter
and in high latitudes; a skin is worth about
$1 50, while that of the smaller pine marten
is worth $2 50; their fur is not much used
in the United States, but is generally sent to
Europe, where it is used for linings of more
costly furs, for trimmings, and for robes. It
brings forth its young once a year toward the
end of spring, from two to four at a birth,
depositing them in hollows in trees at a considerable
height above the ground. This animal
is called by Schreber M. Canadensis.
Fisher (Mustela Pennantii).