THE WEASEL KIND. 79 



General Hardwicke, speaking of the ratel of India,* says that 

 there it prowls at night, round the abodes of the Mahommedan 

 natives, scratching up their recently buried dead, unless their 

 graves are defended by thorny bushes. It burrows with such 

 celerity, that it can bury itself in the hardest ground in the 

 space of ten minutes. The Indians sometimes capture them 

 alive, by digging them out of their holes. Old ones are with 

 difficulty secured, and seldom live long in captivity j but young 

 ones are tractable, docile, and playful. Their general food is 

 flesh in any state, but they appear to prefer birds and living 

 rats. They are fond of climbing, but perform this operation 

 clumsily j although they will ramble securely along every arm 

 of a branching tree, provided it is sufficiently strong to bear 

 their weight. They sleep much during the day, but become 

 watchful at night, and manifest their uneasiness by a hoarse 

 call or bark. 



THE WEASEL KIND. 



Animals of the weasel kind have the body long, slender, and 

 very flexible. This vermiform shape of the body, together with 

 the wedge shape of the head and the shortness of the feet, 

 affords them every facility for insinuating themselves through 

 small apertures or tortuous passages in search of prey. They 

 have the mouth well provided with teeth, admirably adapted 

 for carnivorous purposes. Beneath the tail they have a small 

 gland, from which they can exude a secretion which emits a 

 fetid odour. 



In Britain three species are found in a wild state ; namely, 

 the fitch (Mustela putorius), the stoat (M. er mined), and the 

 common weasel (M. vulgaris). 



* The ratel of India was regarded by Pennant and Shaw as a distinct 

 species ; but Bennett considered it a mere variety. It appears that in colour 

 and markings it does not materially differ from the African specimens ; but it 

 is at least worthy of observation, that those of Africa are described as inca- 

 pable of climbing, whereas those of India, according to General Hardwicke, 

 are fond of climbing. J. H. F. 



