Class I. F I T C H E T. 91 



Polecat ^^ which has much the appearance of being 

 a fpurioiis offfpring. But to put the matter out of 

 difpute, the following fadl need only be related : 

 The Rev. Mr. Le-wis^ Vicar of Llanfowel in Caer- 

 marthcnflylre^ had a tame female ferret, which was 

 permitted to go about the houfe : at length it ab- 

 fented itfelf for fcveral days -, and on its return prov- 

 ed with' young : it produced nine, of a deep brown 

 color, more refembling the fitchet than the ferret. 

 What makes the matter more certain is, that Mr. 

 Lewis had no male of this fpecies for it to couple 

 with ; neither was there any within three m.iles, and 

 thofe Ciofely confined. 



The ferret agrees with the fitchet in many re- 

 fpeds, particularly in its thirfr after the blood of 

 rabbets. It may be added, that the ferret comes 

 originally from Africa\\ and is only cultivated in 

 Great Britain. 



Though the fmell of the fitchet, when alive, is 

 rank and difagreeable, even to a proverb ; yet the 

 Hcin is dreft with the hair on, and ufed as other 

 furs for tippets, i£c, and is aifo lent abroad to 

 line cloaths. 



* La Furet Puiois, Tom. vli. Tab. 25 



-f K^i yot7\cig aygloig ^; y] Ku^un ^£ff<. Strabo, Lib. iii. p. 14^, 

 Edit, Cafaubon. 



Manes, 



