THE ERMINE, OR STOAT. 193 



in preparing for sleep, it always folded itself up in a 

 round form, and covered its tail with his head. It 

 made its escape two or three times, and returned of 

 its own accord, but at last entirely absconded. 



The martin is about a foot and a halt' in length; the 

 body is covered with a thick fur, of a darkish brown 

 colour; its head is small, and elegantly formed, and 

 its eyes are lively; its tail is long, and bushy at the 

 end; its ears broad. Its throat and breast are white; 

 its bellv a pale brown ; its feet are broad, and its 

 claws large and sharp, being well adapted for climb- 

 ing trees. It is very active, and its motions are quick 

 and lively. The fur has an agreeable musky smell, 

 and is held in high estimation. 



The difference between the martin and the phte 

 weasel consists ohieily m the colour, the breast of the 

 latter being yellow, and the body of a much darker 

 brown than that of the former. The fur of the pin 

 weasel is also superior in fineness, beauty, and value. 



THE ERMINE, OR STOAT. 



This animal, being brown in the summer, is called 

 the stoat. In the winter it becomes perfectly white, 

 except the end of the tail, which is black, and invari- 

 ably, retains that colour. In this season it acquires 

 the name of the ermine, and its fur is very valuable. 

 It abounds in Norway, Lapland, Russia, and Siberia, 

 and is also very common in Kamtschatka. In that 

 country and Siberia it, is generally taken in traps, 

 baited with flesh. The skins of the ermine are sold 

 in those countries from two to three pounds .-sterling 

 per hundred. 



The natural history of this animal is nearly the 

 same as that of the weasel.. Its food is the same, and 

 it also possesses an equal degree of agility. The er- 

 mine begins to. change colour in November, &B 

 March it resumes its summer vesture. 



THE SAl:L r : 



is, of all the animals of the weasel kind, the inert 

 highly esteemed, and its fur is the most admired. A 

 single skin, alt h- nigh not more than four inches broad, 

 being sometimes >okl for fifteen pounds, a cl 



K 



