236 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



shot, enthusiastically cheered the fox with an energetic 

 wave of his hat and a ringing "Tally-ho!" In those 

 not very remote days, Foxes were very unscrupu- 

 lously dealt with on similar occasions ; and an old 

 keeper who witnessed the occurrence, emphatically 

 declared that this one " knowed a precious sight 

 better than to turn up within shot o' e'er a one o' 

 t'other guns," encouraged by such high authority 

 therefore, we give the incident as an additional in- 

 stance of sagacity or cunning on the part of the fox. 

 With this brief notice of the crafty Vulpes vulgaris, 

 we pass on to the other Feres naturcz, and next on the 

 list the Weazels claim our notice. 



Of this sanguinary family we are acquainted with 

 three undomes Seated members only, the Polecat (Pu- 

 torius fcetidus), the Weazel (Mustela vulgaris}, and the 

 Stoat (Mustela Ermined) the first of which is very 

 rare. It is about a score of years since the last two 

 polecats of which we have any recollection were 

 trapped here, and, to the person who incautiously 

 skinned them in a very small unventilated apartment, 

 they afforded ample proof of the fact that they had by 

 no means degenerated in one at least of their family 

 characters. It may not be generally known, perhaps 

 not even suspected, that the insufferably offensive se- 

 cretion of the polecat, if sufficiently diluted, is capable 

 of affording to some olfactory organs a gratification 

 little inferior to that derived from musk. It is, however, 

 a fact, the discovery of which, like many other additions 

 to our knowledge, was the result of accident. The 

 knife which had been used in skinning the polecat was 

 unintentionally wiped on a pocket-handkerchief, and 

 imparted such an intolerable stench to it that for 

 many weeks afterwards the least fastidious person 

 would have found it impossible to apply it to its 

 legitimate use without a feeling of unmitigated disgust. 

 After innumerable washings and airings, however, it 

 gradually lost this offensive character, and eventually 



