WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



the shyness of his wild relative, being much more apt to 

 become cross-tempered and ready to return to a state of 

 nature than the tamer whiteferret.Thepolecatis extremely 

 destructive — nothing comes amiss to it. I found in the hole 

 of a she polecat, besides her young ones, three kittens that 

 had been drowned at the distance of at least a quarter of a 

 mile. Besides these, her larder contained the remains of 

 hares, rabbits, and of an infinity of birds and several eels. 



There was a wood-pigeon that had young ones nearly 

 full-grown in an ivy-covered tree close to the window of my 

 dressing-room. One morning I saw the old birds flying 

 about in distress, but I could see no hawk or bird of prey 

 about. Presently down fell one of the young birds, and in a 

 moment afterwards the other young one also fell to the 

 ground, both bleeding at the throat. I immediately loaded 

 my gun, and had the satisfaction of shooting a large pole- 

 cat, who came climbing down the tree and was just pre- 

 paring to carry away one of the young pigeons. 



Like the stoat, the polecat has a beautiful fur, rendered 

 useless by the strong odour of the animal. Notwithstand- 

 ing the quantity of game and other creatures killed by the 

 polecat, he does not appear to be very quick on the 

 ground, and must owe his success in hunting more to per- 

 severance and cunning than to activity. Like the stoat and 



iculars of the old fur market at Dumfries in a paper contributed to the Zoo/o^'st {iSgi, 

 page 343), showing how swift has been the fate overtaking Scottish foumarts. In 1S29 

 the number sold was 400; in 183 1, 600; in 1858 they were very scarce. Twelve were ex- 

 posed for sale in 1866, and none have been offered since. Nevertheless, the species still 

 lingers in some of the Highland deer forests, where the presence of grouse is not desired 

 by stalkers; and Mr Millais names a number of English counties where polecats con- 

 tinue to be taken from time to time (A/amma/s of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. ii. 

 p. 69). — Ed. 



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