THE WEASEL KIND. 



339 



That substance which is stored up in these 

 receptacles, is in some of this kind, such as 

 in the martin, already mentioned, and also in 

 the genet and the civet, to be described here- 

 after, a most grateful perfume; but in the wea- 

 sel, the ermine, the ferret, and the polecat, it 

 is extremely foetid and offensive. Theae glands 

 in the animals now under consideration are 

 much larger, and furnish a matter sublimed 

 to a degree of putrescence, that is truly ama- 

 zing. As to the perfumes of musk and civet, 

 we know that a single grain will diffuse itself 

 over a whole house, and continue for months 

 to spread an agreeable odour, without dimi- 

 nution. However, the perfume of the musk 

 or the civet is nothing, either for strength or 

 duration, to the insupportable odour of these. 

 It is usually voided with their excrement; and 

 if but a single drop happens to touch any 

 part of a man's garment, it is more than pro- 

 bable that he can never wear any part of it 

 more. 



In describing the effects produced by the 

 excrement of these animals, we often hear of 

 its raising this diabolical smell by its urine. 

 However, of this I am apt to doubt; and it 

 should seem to me, that, as all the weasel 

 kind have their excrements so extremely foe- 

 tid from the cause above mentioned, we may 

 consider these also as being foetid from the 

 same causes. Besides, they are not furnish- 

 ed with glands to give their urine such a smell; 

 and the analogy between them and the wea- 

 sel kind being so strong in other respects, we 

 miy suppose they resemble each other in this. 

 It has also been said that they take this me- 

 thod of ejecting their excrement to defend 

 themselves against their pursuers; but it is 

 much more probable that this ejection is the 

 convulsive effect of terror, and that it serves 

 as their defence without their own concur- 

 rence. Certain it is that they never smell 

 thus horridly except when enraged or af- 

 frighted, for they are often kept tame about 

 the houses of the planters of America with- 

 out being very offensive. 



The habitudes of all these animals are the 

 same, living like all the rest of the weasel 

 kind, as they prey upon smaller animals and 

 birds' eggs. The squash, for instance, bur- 

 rows like the polecat in the clefts of rocks, 

 where it brings forth its young. It often steals 



no. 29 & 30. 



into farm-yards, and kills the poultry, eating 

 only their brains. Nor is it safe to pursue or 

 offend it, for then it calls up all its scents, 

 which are its most powerful protection. At 

 that time neither men nor dogs will offer to 

 approach it ; the scent is so strong that it 

 reaches for half a mile round, and more near 

 at hand is almost stifling. If the dogs con- 

 tinue to pursue, it does all in its power to es- 

 cape, by getting up a tree, or by some such 

 means; but if driven to an extremity, it then 

 lets fly upon the hunters; and if it should 

 happen that a drop of this foetid discharge 

 falls in the eye, the person runs the risk of 

 being blinded lor ever.* 



The dogs themselves instantly abate of their 

 ardour when they find this extraordinary bat- 

 tery played off against them ; they instantly 

 turn tail, and leave the animal undisputed mas- 

 ter of the field ; and no exhortations can ever 

 bring them to rally. " In the year 1749," says 

 Kalm, " one of these animals came near the 

 farm where I lived. It was in winter time, 

 during the night; and the dogs that were 

 upon the watch, pursued it for some time, 

 until it discharged against them. Although 

 I was in my bed a good way off, I thought I 

 should have been suffocated ; and the cows 

 and oxen, by their lowings, showed how much 

 they were affected by the stench. About the 

 end of the same year, another of these animals 

 crept into our cellar, but did not exhale the 

 smallest scent, because it was not disturbed. 

 A foolish woman, however, who perceived it 

 at night, by the shining of its eyes, killed it, 

 and at that moment its stench began to spread. 

 The whole cellar was filled with it to such a 

 degree, that the woman kept her bed for se- 

 veral days after; and all the bread, meat, and 

 other provisions, that were kept there, were 

 so infected, that they were obliged to be 

 thrown out of doors." Nevertheless, many of 

 the planters and native Americans keep this 

 animal tame about their houses: and seldom 

 perceive any disagreeable scents, except it is 

 injured or frighted. They are also known 

 to eat its flesh, which some assert to be tole- 

 rable food ; however, they take care to de- 

 prive it of those glands which are so horridly 

 offensive. 



Voy age deKahn, as quoted by Buffou,vol.icxvii.p.9S, 

 3G 



