MARTENS POLECATS, AND WEASELS. 1 15 



quiet during the day, and issuing forth towards evening, the 

 Polecat, writes Macgillivray, when settled in the neighbourhood 

 of a farm-yard, will, at times, commit " great depredations 

 among the poultry, sucking the eggs, and killing the chickens, 

 grown-up fowls, and even turkeys and geese. Not satisfied 

 with obtaining enough to allay its hunger, it does not intermit 

 its ravages until it has destroyed all within its reach, so that 

 the havoc it makes is not less subject of surprise than of 

 indignation to those on whom it has inflicted its unwelcome 

 visit. It generally perforates the skull of its victim, and is said 

 to devour the brain first, as well as to suck the blood. If un- 

 disturbed it sometimes satisfies its hunger on the spot, and in 

 the midst of its slaughtered victims, but in general it carries its 

 prey to some safe retreat. Its ferocity, cunning, and extreme 

 agility, render it a great enemy to game of all kinds ; and it 

 destroys the eggs of Pheasants, Grouse, and Partridges, seizes 

 the birds on their nests, pursues Rabbits into their burrows, 

 and frequently seizes on young Hares. Besides birds and 



Skull of Polecat. 



mammals, it also feeds on fishes and frogs, which have, in 

 some instances, been found in its nest." Our illustration, which 

 is taken from Bewick, commemorates an instance when a 

 Polecat was frequently seen to resort to the bank of a river 

 for the purpose of catching Eels, which were carried off to its 

 retreat, where no less than eleven were discovered. 



Mr. Trevor-Battye writes : "The Polecat is an expert 



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