96 



SINGULAR OCCURRENCE OF POLECATS, {MUSTELA 

 PUTORIUS,) ATTACKING A MAN. 



"A FORTNIGHT sinco, as John Roderick, of Llanidloes, carpenter, was 

 returning home from Pantygessel, in the parish of Llanwnog, he was attacked 

 by a number of Polecats, which bit him in several places, and one crept up 

 his body, and bit him severely on the shoulder. With difficulty he made his 

 escape, and upon arriving at Pantygessel he aroused the inmates, who set out 

 in chase of the animals, and killed four. The poor fellow is not yet recovered 

 from his fright and injuries." — Thus far appeared in the Western Courier 

 Newspaper, during August 1853. 



The Reverend Oourtenay Bulteel, of Holbeton Vicarage, Devon, con.sidering 

 so short an account of this circumstance unsatisfactory, wrote to Roderick, 

 and he being unable to reply handed over the note to a clergyman in the 

 neighbourhood, who very kindly answered it, and the following interesting 

 particulars were elicited, of which I forward a copy: — 



The Green, Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, August 29th., 1853. 



Rev. Sir, 



Interested like yourself in Natural History, I was just now in- 

 quiring from John Roderick, (who happens to be at work here this morning,) 

 the particulars of the "attack upon him by the Polecats," when he put your 

 letter into my hands and requested me to reply to you. 



I make no question, but the main facts were as stated in the papers — 

 Roderick was passing down a cart track which crossed the second field from 

 a hill farm-house, at which he lodged, between eight and nine o'clocl^ one 

 evening in the end of June; he came upon a group of Polecats, (which did 

 not at the moment appear to be travelling across his path, but as I conceive 

 to be stopped by the young ones becoming chilled and cramped as I have 

 often seen Ferrets by the rain, which was then, and had been most of the 

 evening, falling heavily,) these young ones seem to have been crouching in 

 the wheel-rut, while the old ones would appear, from Roderick's account, to 

 have endeavoured to shelter them, and at the same time to entice them 

 forward, by going and returning towards and from the hedge. I may here 

 observe that it proved the rain had dislodged them just before from their 

 nest under the barn floor, it being extremely heavy, and great floods occurring 

 on that night through the whole of this part of Wales. 



The man having no stick, rushed forward and struck at one with his hat, and 

 at the same moment "kicked another into the air;" in doing so he fell, and 

 at once was fastened on by four or five of the Fitchets, (as we call them 

 here:) two only of them reached his flesh, one, (an old one,) pinning him by 

 the shoulder, and another by the heel, the others had hold of his clothes; 

 he got out his pocket-knife and stuck it into that on his shoulder, and then 

 getting on his legs he ran ofi", the Fitchets dropping ofi" him one by one, that 

 on the heel holding longest and most savagely. Hastening to the farm-house^ 

 he called some of the workmen, and returning with sticks and with sheep-dogs, 



VOL. IV. o 



