THE MARTEN FAMILY— WEASEL GROUP. 



157 



The Polecat's The Polecat inhabits the temperate 

 Range zone of Europe and Asia and even en- 



and Habits, croaches a little upon the arctic zone. 

 It is found throughout all Europe except Lapland 

 and northern Russia. In Asia it ranges from the 

 Caspian sea through Tartary and Siberia to Kam- 

 chatka. Every locality holding out a promise of 

 food is adapted for its existence and therefore it fre- 

 quents plains as well as mountains, forests and fields, 

 and is particularly partial to the vicinity of large 

 farms. It takes up its habitation in hollow trees, 

 rocks, old Fox burrows and similar holes which it 

 happens to come across; and, if driven to it, can 

 burrow itself. It establishes itself in fields of high- 

 grown wheat or corn; it also makes its home in 

 fence corners, under bridges, in old walls, the roots 

 of large trees or close hedges; in short, it settles 

 down wherever there is a good chance to do so, but 

 fights shy of work, preferring to let other animals do 

 the digging and burrowing. In winter it shifts its 



The Polecat 



a Vigilant 



Hunter. 



Polecats, and as the result of his labors, concluded 

 that they devoured Frogs and Snakes with great 

 pleasure, never caring for the bites of venomous 

 Snakes and experiencing no discomfort from them. 

 Besides feeding on venomous Snakes 

 the Polecat, Marten-fashion, attacks 

 every creature it holds to be its inferior 

 in strength. It is a deadly enemy of all Moles, field 

 and house Mice, Rats and Hamsters, Hedgehogs, 

 Chickens and Ducks. Frogs seem to be one of its 

 favorite dainties, for it catches them in great quanti- 

 ties, and keeps them in its burrow by the dozen. 

 When food is scarce it contents itself with Grasshop- 

 pers and Snails. It also goes fishing and lies in wait 

 for fish on the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds, 

 jumps after them into the water, dives and seizes 

 them with great adroitness; it is even said to take 

 them from under the ice in winter. It is also very 

 fond of honey and fruits. Its sanguinary instincts 

 are great, but not so great as those of the Martens 



THE POLECAT. An animal which is generally avoided by those of sensitive olfactory nerves is the Polecat, which inhabits the greater 



part of Europe and Asia, where it ravages poultry yards, but also catches Rats, Mice and other rodents. It is also partial to Frogs, and the 

 mother Polecat in the picture is shown in the maternal act of bringing to her young a Frog she has killed. {Pittorius faeiidus.) 



quarters and moves* into villages and cities, often 

 encroaching upon the domain of the domestic Cat 

 and the Stone Marten. Occasionally it enters Hen- 

 houses, Pigeon-roosts, Rabbit-hutches and similar 

 places, where it displays an activity little calculated 

 to bring joy to their inmates or owners, and only 

 equaled but never surpassed by other members of 

 the Marten family. On the other hand it makes it- 

 self useful, and if the farmer is careful of his Hens, 

 Pigeons and Rabbits, he cannot find fault with his 

 guest, for it catches a multitude of Rats and Mice, 

 thoroughly rids the immediate neighborhood of 

 Snakes, and requires nothing for its services but 

 a warm bed in a very dark corner in the hay-loft. 

 There are localities where the Polecat is as welcome 

 as it is detested in others. 

 The Polecat We must agree with Lenz, who advises 

 Useful in the every forester to spare the Polecat. Its 

 Woods. right place is in the woods, and it does 

 much good by killing Mice and Snakes; its usefulness 

 in destroying Hamsters is also worthy of mention. 

 Lenz experimented a great deal with half-grown 



proper. As a rule it does not kill all the poultry in 

 a house into which it has effected an entrance, but 

 takes the first fowl that it comes across and hurries 

 with it to its hiding-place; but it repeats this per- 

 formance several times in one night. More than 

 other members of the Marten family it is in the habit 

 of stocking its larder with provisions, and not in- 

 frequently goodly supplies of Mice, birds, eggs and 

 Frogs are found in its burrows. Its agility makes its 

 task of providing for its sustenance an easy one. 



All movements of the Polecat are quick, agile and 

 to the purpose. It is past-master in the arts of sneak- 

 ing and leaping; it climbs, swims, dives, in short, 

 makes use of every movement that may further its 

 purposes. It is crafty, cunning, cautious, distrust- 

 ful, ingenious and, when attacked, courageous, and 

 addicted to vicious biting; in short, it is perfectly 

 fitted for committing great robberies. Like the 

 Skunk [which in America is frequently called " Pole- • 

 cat "], it defends itself in extremities by ejecting a 

 foul-smelling fluid and thereby deterring the Dogs 

 from pursuing it. Its tenacity of life is incredible. 



