THE WEASEL KIND. 85 



rcfcmbles the fkunk, but is rather fmaller and more beautiful ; its 

 ftreaks of black and white more diftincl ; and its tail black at its infer- 

 tion,,and white at the extremity ; whereas in the fkunk they are all grey. 

 The Squash burrows in the clefts of rocks, where it brings forth ; 

 deals into farm-yards, and kills the poultry, eating only their brains. 

 If purfued, calls up all its fcenrs, which reach half a mile round, and 

 near are ftifling. If purfued, endeavours to efcape by getting up a 

 tree, or by fome fuch means ; driven to extremity, lets fly on the 

 hunters; fhould a drop of this foetid difcharge fall in the eye, the per- 

 fon runs the rifque of being blinded for ever. The dogs inftantiy abate 

 of their ardour, turn tail, and leave the animal, rubbing their nofes in 

 the grafs. In 1749, faysKalm, one came near the farm where I lived, 

 in winter time, during the night ; the dogs on the watch purfued it, 

 until it difcharged againft them : though I was in bed a good way off, I 

 thought I fhould have been fuffocatcd j and the cows and oxen, by their 

 lowings, fhewed their futferings by the ftench. Another crept into our 

 cellar, but did not exhale the fmallefl fcenc j till a foolifh woman, who 

 perceived it at night, by the fhining of its eyes, killed it. That mo- 

 ment its flench began j the cellar was filled with it to fuch a de- 

 gree, that the woman kept her bed feveral days, and all the provifions 

 were fo infefted, that they were obliged to be thrown out of doors. 



T'HE GENETTE 



IS rather lefs than the martin ; refembles the weafel kind, in its length, 

 compared to its height, in having a fofc beautiful fur, its feet armed 

 with claws that cannot be fheathed, and its appetite for petty carnage. 

 It differs in having the nofe much fmaller and longer, the tail alfo tapers 

 to a point, and is much longer j its ears are larger, and its paws fmaller ; 

 is fpotted with black, on a ground mixed with red and grey ; has two 

 forts of hair, one fhorter and fofter, the other longer and ftronger, half an 

 inch long; longer on the tail ; its fpots diflind and feparate on the fides, 

 unite towards the back, forming black flripes, which run longitudinally 

 from the neck backwards ; has along the back a kind of mane or longifh 

 hair, which forms a black flreak from head to tail 3 tail marked v.ith 

 rings, alternately black and white, its whole length. Like all the wea- 

 fel kinds, has glands ; thefe feparate a kind of perfume ; open difl^erently 

 No. 23, Q^ from 



