328 THE MARTIN. 



jt remains till spring, and where it brings forth its yotmg. 

 All this season it makes war upon the rats and mice, with still 

 greater success than the cat ; for being more active and slender, 

 it pursues them into their holes, and, after a short resistance, 

 destroys them. It creeps also into pigeon-holes, destroys the 

 young, catches sparrows, and all kinds of small birds ; and, if 

 it has brought forth its young, hunts with still greater boldness 

 and avidity. In summer, it ventures farther from the house ; 

 and particularly goes into those places where the rat, its chief- 

 est prey, goes before it. Accordingly, it is found in the lower 

 grounds, by the side of waters, near mills, and often is seen to 

 hide its young in the hollow of a tree. 



The female takes every precaution to make an easy bed 

 for her little ones : she lines the bottom of her hole with grass, 

 hay, leaves, and moss, and generally brings forth from three to 

 five at a time. All animals of this, as well as those of the dog 

 kind, bring forth their young with closed eyes : but they very 

 soon acquire strength sufficient to follow the dam in her excur- 

 sions, and assist in her projects of petty rapine. The Weasel, 

 like all others of its kind, does not run on equably, but moves 

 by bounding ; and when it climbs a tree by a single spring it 

 gets a good way from the ground. It jumps in the same 

 manner upon its prey; and, having an extremely limber 

 body, evades the attempts of much stronger animals to seize it. 



This animal, like all of its kind, has a very strong smell ; 

 and that of the Weasel is peculiarly foetid. This scent is very 

 distinguishable in those creatures, when they void their excre- 

 ment ; for the glands which furnished this foetid substance, 

 which is of the consistence of suet, open directly into the orifice 

 of the anus, and taint the excrement with the strong effluvia. 

 The Weasel smells more strongly in summer than in winter ; 

 and more abominably when irritated or pursued, than when 

 at ease. It always preys in silence, and never has a cry except 

 when struck, and then it has a rough kind of squeaking, which 

 at once expresses resentment and pain. Its appetite for animal 

 food never forsakes it ; and it seems even to take a pleasure 

 in the vicinity of putrefaction. Mr. Buffon tells us of one ot 



