THE rOLECAT OR FITCII. 293 



have only one sort of fur, which is of a very uniform 

 dark brown, close and woolly. It generally resides in 

 woods, or thick coppices in the neighbourhood of farm- 

 houses. In such places it burrows under ground, form- 

 ing a shallow retreat from two to three yards in length, 

 generally terminating in a round chamber, situated for 

 better security among the roots of some tree. Some, 

 however, instead of forming a subterranean retreat, con- 

 tent themselves with a lodging under hayricks. During 

 the daytime they usually remain in close concealment, 

 but at night they sally forth in search of prey. The 

 fitch is very nimble and active in its movements, run- 

 ning very fast, and accelerating its progress with a suc- 

 cession of leaps, arching its back each time it is about 

 to spring from the ground. It also creeps up walls with 

 great facility. In walking, the belly seems to touch the 

 ground, owing to the shortness of its legs. Being a 

 pursuing animal instead of pursued, it has its external 

 organs for conveying impressions to the senses placed as 

 favourably as possible. Its external auditory tube. 

 Dr. Farrar observes, " is similar in leng-th and diameter 

 to the hare's, placed at an angle of forty-five degrees, 

 but pointing from behind, in a direction downwards and 

 forwards ; in fact, the very opposite to its position in the 

 hare. From this tube being placed very forwards, we 

 should naturally conclude that this animal's sense of 

 hearing is much less acute from behind than before, and 

 this supposition is strongly supported by the following 

 circumstance : — A farmer in my neighbourhood had his 

 poultry disturbed on several successive nights, and one 

 day he discovered near his residence a couple of fitches 

 gamboling in a very frolicsome manner ; approaching 

 them cautiously from behind, he was enabled to coma 



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