THE WEASEL KIND. 9t 



The female brings forth in fummer, five or fix at a tinr^e j thefe flic 

 foon trains to rapacity, fupplying the want of milk (of which no carni- 

 vorous quadruped has plenty) by the blood of animals. The fur is fofc 

 and warm ; but its ofFenfive fmell can never be removed or fupprefled. 

 The polecat inhabits temperacc climates j is rare in the north and in 

 warm latitudes. 



THE MARTIN 



IS generally eighteen inches long j the tail ten, and bufhy at the end ; 

 its cry fharp and piercing; its nofe flitter than the polecat ; its co- 

 lours more elegant ; its fcent not offenfive, but confidered as a perfume ; 

 the mod beautiful of all Britifh beafts of prey ; its head fmall and ele- 

 gant i eyes, lively j ears, broad, rounded and open j back, fides, and 

 tail, covered with a fine thick downy fur, with longer hair intermixed ; 

 the roots afh colour, the middle bright chefnut, the points black ; the 

 head is brown, with a flight caft of red ; the legs, and upper fides of the 

 feet, chocolate colour ;. the palms, or under fides, covered with a thick 

 downy fur i the feet broad ; claws white, large and fliarp, well adapted 

 for the purpofes of climbing, but incapable of being Iheathed or un- 

 fheathed ; throat and breaft, white j belly of the fame colour with the 

 back, but rather paler j hair on the tail very long, efpecially at the end, 

 where it appears much thicker than near the infertion. 



There is a yellow- breafted martin ; differs only by its yellow breaft ; 

 the colour of the body is darker, and its fur more valuable, beautiful 

 andglofly; is much more common in France than in England; yet 

 even there is much fcarcer than that with the white breaft. 



Of all the weafel kind, the martin is the m.oft pleafingj its motions 

 are graceful and agile j fcarce an anim.al in our woods will oppofe it : 

 the wild cat itfelf, though much fl:ronger, is not its match, and fcldom 

 meets it without a combat; has been kept partly tamed, in which 

 fl:ate it ate every thing excepi fallad or herbs ; was remarkably fond of 

 honey ; drank often ; often flept two days together, and often paflTed twa 

 or three days without fleep. Before it flept, drew itfelf into a round, 

 and hid its head by its tail. 



When the martin finds itfelf purfued by dogs (for which there is a pe- 

 culiar breed) it makes to its retreat, which is generally the hollow of 



P a fomc 



