206 xMUSTELAD.E. 



tame Grisoii, Galictis vittata,^ which we possessed for 

 several years, was very fond of frogs ; but these were 

 not the only reptiles which were obnoxious to its voracity. 

 On one occasion, in the winter, we had placed it in its 

 cage, in a room with a fire, where we had also two young 

 alligators, which in general were stupidly tame ; on going 

 into the room in the morning, we found the Grison at 

 large, and one of the alligators dead, with a hole eaten 

 under the fore-leg, where the great nerves and blood- 

 vessels were torn through ; and the other alligator began 

 snapping furiously at every one who attempted to ap- 

 proach it. 



The female Polecat brings foui", five, or six young, in 

 May or the beginning of June. She makes her nest in 

 some'retired place, in a rabbit-burrow, in holes of rocks, 

 or amongst heaps of stones grown over with herbage or 

 brushwood. 



The long fur of this animal, though far less beautiful 

 and of inferior value to that of the Sable, or even of the 

 Marten, is still much esteemed, and numbers are annu- 

 ally imported here from the north of Europe, under the 

 name of Fitch. 



The common name of this species, Polecat, is pro- 

 bably nothing more than Polish Cat. Foumart, Fuhnart, 

 FvUmart, are contractions of Foul Marten, a name applied 

 to it in contradistinction to the Sweet Marten, on account 

 of the disgusting odour produced by the exudation of 

 a fetid secretion from a pouch or follicle under the tail, 

 and which is even more intolerable than that of the 

 Common Weasel or the Stoat. 



The general form of the Fitchet is rather stouter in 

 proportion than that of either of the former species, 

 closely resembling, in fact, large examj)les of the com- 



* Hcc Trans. Zool. Soc. Vol. II. p. 203. 



