THE COMMON WEESEL. 179 



usually finish its repast in less than a minute. 

 When awake, it was always inclined to be familiar 

 and frolicsome. It would play with its owner, 

 run over his clothes, and creep into his pocket, 

 his sleeves, or bosom, without in any instance for- 

 getting itself, and becoming of its own accord 

 quarrelsome or ill-tempered. It would eat at table 

 with him ; lap water out of his goblet ; and often, 

 by the most engaging manners, invite him to play 

 with it. During, however, the very short interval of 

 its feeding, it would not suffer itself to be touched 

 without showing signs of great irritability at the in- 

 terruption. Sometimes, in the mere playfulness of 

 disposition, it would bite rather keenly ; but in this 

 case, a slight chastisement always prevented a re- 

 petition of the fault. 



Whenever a chicken inadvertently came within 

 its reach, this Weesel would immediately spring at, 

 and seize it. But it did not dare to attack larger 

 fowls. Whenever it attempted to approach them, 

 they always put it to flight by repeated blows with 

 their beaks. With respect to the chickens, it was 

 an amusing sight to observe the great degree of 

 cunning, and the various feints that were employed 

 by the little creature to take them by surprise. 



Another Weesel, kept by the same person, 

 M. Giely de Mornas, though caught when very 

 young, was not quite so tame; for when it was 

 hungry, it would often bite very keenly. Its 

 owner, therefore, kept near its bed a little whip, 

 N 2 which 



