THE POLECAT. 



THE fur of the common polecat is of two sorts : the 

 one long and shining, of a brown colour ; the other, 

 silky, short, and yellowish, or fulvous white. From the 

 habits of this species, it is extremely destructive, as 

 every animal it can conquer falls a victim to its appe- 

 tite. It is strong and active ; and by bringing all the 

 feet together, and drawing the back into an arch, it 

 springs with great force on its intended prey, which it 

 generally kills expeditiously, and with a single bite on 

 the head. 



On a female polecat being pursued to its nest, which 

 is usually in woods or coppices, and near to farms, 

 there were found five young ones, comfortably embedded 

 in dry withered grass j and in a side hole forty large 

 frogs and two toads were picked out. They were all 

 alive, but merely so ; for the mother had contrived that 

 they should all be paralysed. They could only sprawl a 

 little, but not move away ; and, on the whole number 

 being examined, they were found to be bitten through 



