424 COMMON WEESEL. 



cold weather, I have not observed this. Some- 

 times, when the sun shines, while he is playing on 

 the bed, he turns and tumbles about and murmurs 

 for a while. 



" From his delight in drinking milk out of 

 my hand, into which I pour a very little at a 

 time, and his custom of sipping the little drops 

 and edges of the fluid, it should seem that he 

 drinks dew in the same manner. He very seldom 

 drinks water, and that only with great caution, 

 and in defect of milk ; and then seems only to 

 refresh his tongue once or twice : he even seems 

 to be afraid of water. During the hot weather it 

 rained a good deal. I presented to him some 

 rain-water in a dish, and endeavoured to make 

 him go into it, but could not succeed. I then 

 wetted a piece of linnen cloth in it, and put it 

 near him, when he rolled upon it with extreme 

 delight. 



" One singularity in this charming s.nimal is 

 his curiosity; it being impossible to open a drawer 

 or a box, or even to look at a paper, but the 

 little creature will examine it also. If he gets 

 into any place M'here I am afraid of permitting 

 him to stay, I take a paper or a book, and look 

 attentively at it; when he immediately runs 

 upon my hand and surveys with an air of curio- 

 sity whatever I happen to hold. I must farther 

 observe, that he plays with a young Cat and 

 Dog, both of some size, getting about their necks, 

 backs, and paws, without their doing him the 

 least injury." 



