S2 QJJ A P R U P E D S, 



fome tree,' toward the top, which t© come at, it mufl; be cut down. 

 Their neft is generally the original tenement of the fquirrel. It brings 

 three or four, to fix ; their eyes clofed. The dam compenfates her de- 

 ficiency of milk, by bringing them eggs (which flie often carries whole) 

 and live birds, accuftoming thena early to rapine. When flie leads them 

 into the woods, the birds difcover and attend them, threatening and in- 

 fulting her, alarmJng every thicket, and often direfting the hunter. 

 - The martin is more common in North-America than in Europe ; but 

 IS found in all the northern parts, from Siberia to China and Canada, 

 They are hunted for their fiirs, which are very valuable. 



THE SABLE. 



SABLE fur is held in the higheft efteem j is brownifh black ; the 

 darkeft moft valuable. A fingle Ikin, not above four inches broad, 

 is often valued at lo or 15/. The fur has no grain; every way equally 

 fmooth and unrefifting. 



The fable refembles in form the martin, and the weafel in the num- 

 ber of its teeth ; is eighteen inches long, tail twelve j very large whifkers 

 about the mouth j its feet broad, five claws on each foot. Some are 

 dark brown over the body, except the ears and throat, where the hair is 

 rather yellow ; others yellowifh, their ears and throat paler. Thefe are 

 their winter colours, which they change in fpring j the former becoming 

 a yellow brown, the latter a pale yellow; fometimes found fnow- white. 

 They refemble their kind in vivacity, agility, and inquietude; in fleep- 

 ing by day and preying by night, and in their difagreeable odour. Live 

 on fmaller animals, ermines, weafels and fquirrels, but efpecially hares; 

 in autumn on berries; bring forth in April from three to five. 



Inhabit, the banks of rivers, in fhady places, and the thickeft woods, 

 beneath the roots of trees, or holes in the earth ; leap eafily from tree 

 to tree, and are faid to fear the fun ; are moftly found in Siberia, very 

 few elfewhere; but fuppofed, in one of its varieties, to be found in 

 America, where it grows large. Sable hunting is chiefly followed by 

 condemned exiles lent from Ruflia into thefe wild and extenfive forefts, 

 that, great part of the year, are covered with fnow. They are obliged 

 to fhoot with only a fingle ball, or with crofs-bow and blunt arrows, to 

 avoid fpoiling the ikin. 



7 THE 



