THE ORISON. 191 



The Polecat is found throughout Northern Europe, not extending southwards into the warmer 

 parts of the Continent, but being quite at home in snow-covered regions. It is essentially, like the 

 Marten, a sub-arctic and temperate animal. 



THE FERRET.* 



This is a domesticated variety of the genus Putorius, of African origin. It shows its Southern 

 nature by being, unlike the Polecat, unable to endure great cold ; even an English winter is enough 

 to kill it if not properly housed. It is an interesting animal, zoologically, from the fact that it is a 

 true-breeding Albino, having the white fur and pink eyes of that peculiar " sport." It is a little 

 smaller than the Polecat, with which it will breed with perfect readiness, producing hybrids inter- 

 mediate in character between the two parent species. 



Ferrets are much used, both in Britain and America, chiefly for killing Rats and for driving 

 Babbits out of their burrows. For the latter function the Ferret is muzzled, to prevent its killing the 

 Rabbit in the burrow ; the latter is either netted or killed immediately, as soon as it is driven out. 

 The Ferret is also frequently employed to kill fowls for the table. Its particularly neat method of 

 slaughtering by one bite in the neck is much admired by Ferret-fanciers, who make quite a pet of the 

 animal. It, however, never shows the slightest affection for its master, and has usually to be con- 

 fined : the necessity of this is shown in an instance, quoted by Bell, in which a child was attacked 

 in its cradle, and only rescued after the veins of its neck had been severed, its face, neck, and arms 

 lacerated, and its eyes so injured that the sight of one of them was permanently lost. 



THE MINK.f 



This important fur-producing animal is found in the northern parts of both hemispheres under 

 various specific forms, the most important of which are the European Mink (P. lutreola) and the 

 American Mink (P. visori). Although most nearly allied to the Stoats and Weasels, it shows a certain 

 resemblance to the Martens in its larger and stouter body, which attains a length of from fifteen to 

 eighteen inches, the tail being about seven or eight inches long, and bushy at the tip. Like most of 

 its allies, it has two kinds of fur "a soft matted under fur, mixed with long, stiff, lustrous 

 hairs." The colour varies from dull yellowish-brown to dark chocolate-brown ; the upper lip is usually 

 white in the European, dark in the American species. The scent-glands are well developed, and their 

 secretion is second only in offensiveness to that of the Skunk. 



The habits of the Mink differ altogether from those of the other species of the genus. As Dr. 

 Coues observes, "It is to the water what the other Weasels are to the land, or the Martens to the trees. 

 It is as essentially aquatic in its habits as the Otter, Beaver, or Musk Rat, and spends, perhaps, more 

 of its time in the water than it does on land. In adaptation to this mode of life, the pelage has that 

 peculiar glossiness of the longer bristly hairs and felting of the close under fur which best resists the 

 water." It feeds chiefly upon aquatic or amphibious animals, such as fish, frogs, crayfish, molluscs, 

 and the like, but also preys largely upon the smaller Mammals. It is stated that it is not an indis- 

 criminate slaughterer, but kills only what is necessary for its actual wants. 



In America the Mink has been regularly domesticated and trained as a Rat-catcher, like the 

 Ferret. " Minkeries " have been established in connection with farm-yards, and have proved in more 

 than one instance eminently successful. The animals soon allow themselves to be handled, and besides 

 becoming good Ratters, bring their owner a very considerable profit by their fur, for which alone it is 

 well worth while to breed them, as the expense of keeping them is trifling. 



THE GRISOKJ 



This is a Weasel-like animal, found only in South America, and distinguished from its nearest 

 relations, the Martens and Weasels, by the fact that the colour of the upper is lighter than that of the 

 lower surface of its body, the former being grey, the latter dark brown. Its whole length is rather 



* Putorius furo. t Putorivs lutreola and P. vison. + Galides vtttata. 



