172 THE POLECAT. 



they have been known to attack hives, and voraci- 

 ously to devour their contents. 



That the Polecat will sometimes prey upon fish, 

 is a fact that was known to several of the old 

 writers on natural history, and is noticed both by 

 Aldrovandus and Jonston. A curious fact, illus- 

 trative of this propensity, is recorded in Bewick's 

 History of Quadrupeds. During a severe storm, a 

 Polecat was tracked in the snow, from the side of a 

 rivulet, to its hole at some distance. On examining 

 this hole, it was found to contain eleven fine eels, 

 the fruits of some of the animal's lately-performed 

 nocturnal excursions. 



The following method of destroying these vora- 

 cious animals is often adopted by warreners. They 

 set box traps in the bottom of ditches, or under 

 walls or pales, fencing up the ends of the traps, 

 for four or five yards aslant, and two or three 

 yards wide at the entrance, with earth, bushes, or 

 broken pales; so that no vermin of this description 

 can pass without entering the traps. When the 

 traps are thus placed, a trail of Rabbets 3 paunches 

 is drawn from one trap to another; and the baits 

 are red herrings, half broiled. The ends of the 

 traps are rubbed with them, and a part of each 

 herring is afterwards hung upon the nail over the 

 bridges of the traps. If both ends of the box traps 

 be painted white, and rubbed with the entrails of 

 any animal, Hares or Rabbets will be deterred 



from 



