THE DOG KIND. 



329 



Beside these distinctions, all animals of the 

 weasel kind have glands placed near the anus, 

 that either open into or beneath it, furnishing 

 a substance that, in some, has the most oflen- 

 sive smell in nature, in others, the most pleas- 

 ing perfume. All of this kind are still more 

 marked by their habitudes and dispositions, 

 than their external form; cruel, voracious, 

 and cowardly, they subsist only by theft, and 

 find their chief protection in their minuteness. 

 They are all, from the shortness of their legs, 

 slow in pursuit ; and, therefore, owe their sup- 

 port to their patience, assiduity, and cunning. 

 As their prey is precarious, they live a long 

 time without food; and if they happen to fall 

 in where it is in plenty, they instantly de- 

 stroy all about them before they begin to 

 satisfy their appetite, and suck the blood of 

 every animal before they begin to touch its 

 flesh. 



These are the marks common to this kind, 

 all the species of which have a most striking 

 resemblance to each other; and he that has 

 seen one, in some measure, may he said to 

 have seen all. The chief distinction in this 

 numerous class of animals, is to be taken from 

 the size ; for no words can give the minute 

 irregularities of that outline by which one 

 species is to be distinguished from that which 

 is next it. I will begin, therefore, with the 

 least and the best known of this kind, and 

 still marking the size, will proceed gradually 

 to larger and larger, until we come from the 

 weasel to the glutton, which I take to be the 

 largest of all. The weasel will serre as a 

 model for all the rest ; and, indeed, the points 

 in which they differ from this little animal, are 

 but very inconsiderable. 



The WEASEL," as was said, is the smallest 

 of this numerous tribe ; its length not exceed- 

 ing seven inches, from the tip of the nose to 

 the insertion of the tail. This length, hov- 

 ever, seems to be very great, if we compare 

 it with the height of the animal, which is not 

 above an inch and a half. In measuring the 

 wolf, we find him to be not above once and a 

 half as long as he is high ; in observing the 

 weasel, we find it near five times as long as 

 it is high, which shows an amazing dispropor- 

 tion. The tail also, which is bushy, is two 



British Zoology, vol. i. p. 83. 



inches and a half long, and adds to the appa- 

 rent length of this little animal's body. The 

 colour of the weasel is of a bright red on the 

 back and sides, but white under the throat 

 and the belly. It has whiskers like a cat; 

 and thirty-two teeth, which is two more than 

 any of the cat kind ; and these also seem bet- 

 ter adapted for tearing and chewing, than 

 those of the cat kind are. The eyes are lit- 

 tle and black. The ears short, broad, and 

 roundish ; and have a fold at the lower part, 

 which makes them look as if they were dou- 

 ble. Beneath the corners of the mouth, on 

 each jaw, is a spot of brown. 



This animal, though very diminutive to ap- 

 pearance, is, nevertheless, a very formidable 

 enemy to quadrupeds an hundred times its 

 own size. It is very common and well known 

 in most parts of this country; but seems held 

 in very different estimation in different parts 

 of it. In those places where sheep or lambs 

 are bred, the weasel is a most noxious inmate, 

 and every art is used to destroy it; on the 

 contrary, in places where agriculture is chief- 

 ly followed, the weasel is considered as a 

 friend that thins the number of such vermin 

 as chiefly live upon corn: however, in all 

 places, it is one of the most untameable and 

 untractable animals in the world . b When 

 kept in a cage, either for the purposes of 

 amusement or inspection, it will not touch any 

 part of its victuals while any body looks on. 

 It keeps in a continual agitation, and seems 

 frighted so much at the sight of mankind, that 

 it will die, if not. permitted to hide itself from 

 their presence. For this purpose, it must be 

 provided, in its cage, with a sufficient quan- 

 tity of wool or hay, in which it may conceal 

 itself, and where it may carry whatever it has 

 got to eat ; which, however, it w ill not touch 

 until it begins to putrefy. In this state it is 

 seen to pass three parts of the day in sleeping ; 

 and reserves the night for its limes of exer- 

 cise and eating. 



In its wild state, the night is likewise the 

 time during which it may be properly said to 

 live. At the approach of evening, it is seen 

 stealing from its hole, and creeping about the 

 farmer's yard for its prey. If it enters the 

 place where poultry are kept, it never attacks 



b Buffbn, vol. xv. p. 37 



