THE MARTENS, POLECATS, AND WEASELS 651 



In rabbit catching the ferret is usually sent into the hole either muzzled or at- 

 tached to a coil of string, by which it can be withdrawn. If allowed to enter a 

 rabbit hole unmuzzled, or without a string, ferrets are very likely to remain in such 

 good quarters, and to slaughter the occupants one after another. The usual plan is 

 to stop all the entrances to the burrows by means of small bag-like nets, in which 

 the rabbits are caught when they bolt ; but sometimes they are allowed to bolt 

 freely, and are either shot or coursed with dogs. In ferreting it is essential that 

 those who are present should be perfectly silent, as otherwise the rabbits will prefer 

 to be eaten alive by the ferret in their holes rather than attempt to escape. It is 

 also important that no one should stand immediately in front of the entrance to the 

 hole. When a ferret enters a burrow in which there are several rabbits, a pro- 

 digious scuffling and scurrying immediately takes place in the interior ; and after a 

 few minutes, if not frightened by sounds above, the occupants soon begin to bolt in 

 rapid succession at the various exits. Like the other members of its tribe, a ferret 

 almost invariably seizes a rabbit immediately behind the ear. 



The common weasel of Europe (M. vulgaris) is the first of several 

 species, distinguished from the polecats by their smaller size, longer 

 bodies, and the much slighter development of the ridges and crests on their skulls. 

 The difference in the proportionate length of the weasel and the polecat will be 

 made evident by comparing the figure of the skeleton of the former given on p. 635 

 with that of the latter on p. 648. Moreover, whereas none of the martens or pole- 

 cats have a winter coat markedly different in color from that which they wear in 

 summer, the weasels and stoats in northern regions generally or invariably change 

 their summer dress of brown for a white winter garb. 



The common weasel, which ranges over the whole of Europe, Northern and 

 Central Asia, and a large portion of the northern part of America, usually varies 

 from six to eight inches in length from the tip of the snout to the root of the tail ; 

 the tail itself, with the hair at the end, varying from two to two and one-half 

 inches. In color the upper parts are usually some shade of mahogany brown in the 

 summer dress, while the throat and under parts are white, without any tinge of 

 yellow. The outer sides of the limbs are colored like the back, but it appears that 

 the feet may be either of the same tint as the back or as the under parts. There is 

 considerable individual variation in the shade of the brown, as there is with regard 

 to the limits of demarkation between the brown and the white areas. The tail is 

 cylindrical and pointed, with its tip of nearly or exactly the same tint as the back. 

 The female weasel is considerably smaller than the male, and appears to be the 

 animal locally known as the cane. 



In the northern parts of the whole extent of its range the weasel assumes a 

 white dress in winter, although it appears that this change of dress is less regular 

 than in its cousin the stoat, and requires a greater intensity of cold for its produc- 

 tion. This change occurs but rarely in the British Islands. Even in the winter 

 dress, the tip of the tail, although paler than ordinary, retains the reddish brown 

 color. In North America the weasel turns white in the northern parts of New 

 England and the Adirondack mountains near New York, but in the latitude of 

 Massachusetts it retains the dark color throughout the year. 



