848 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



A burrow so extensive, Burroughs thinks, must have been 

 the work of many seasons, and therefore a permanent home of 

 this Weasel. 



sANiTA- One of the most interesting features in it was the midden- 



TION 



heap. When we find an animal far enough advanced to purify 

 its nest by appointing and keeping apart a place for garbage 

 and filth, we must honour it for having advanced the first 

 degree in sanitation, and even for having taken a step towards 

 civilization. 



GESTA- The period of gestation in our Ermine is unknown, but 



A. H. Cocks found it to be about 40 days in the British 

 congener. 



YOUNG The young number from 4 to 8, are usually 5 or 6, and 



doubtless, like Stoats, they are blind for some nine days after 

 birth. 



In her ordinary life the old Weasel walks to and fro, far 

 and near, throughout the earth seeking whom she may de- 

 stroy; but in spring, as we see, she responds to the home 

 love, and for a time is chained to the nest with the young. 

 She hides them with care, nurses them with tender and truly 

 musteline assiduity, and guards them with a marvellous 

 courage, until in late summer when they are about six or eight 

 weeks old; then they are strong enough to follow her about, 

 and she resumes her travels at the head of her half-dozen bud- 

 ding cutthroats, and leaves a trail of destruction still wider 

 than before. 



On June 28, at my home in Connecticut, John Crawford saw 

 in a dry stone wall by my house an old Weasel {novchoracensts) 

 and 5 young ones about half grown. She ran across an open 

 space to the woodshed, where she called the young ones in a 

 "sort of grumbling coo." Each time she did so they popped 

 out their heads. 



Crawford tried to hit them with a stick. The mother ran 

 forward a number of times, calling the young to come, and at 

 last dashed back into the wall where they were. As we saw no 



