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THE FITCH. (Mustela putorius. Linn.} 

 Fitchet, Fitchew, Foumart. Fulimart. Polecat. 



The fitch inhabits the temperate parts of Europe, its range 

 extending from Italy to Poland. In Britain, France, and many 

 other countries, it is very common. 



From the nose to the extremity of the body, its length is 

 nearly eighteen inches 5 or, including the tail, about one foot 

 and eleven inches. The edges of both the jaws are white -, the 

 ears are short, semi-circular, and tipped with white; the feet 

 are short, the toes long, and separated to the very origin ; the 

 claws are sharp, and hooked, white underneath, and brown 

 above j the head and legs are entirely of a dark chocolate 

 colour, approaching to black. The hairs on the sides of the 

 body are of a blackish brown colour about the tips, but yellowish 

 about the middle and base. The coat consists of two sorts of 

 fur, the shorter of which is the more warm and downy, and the 

 adult animal retains both throughout the year - } but the young 

 have only one sort of fur, which is of a very uniform dark 

 brown, close and woolly. 



It generally resides in woods or thick coppices, in the 

 neighbourhood of farm-houses. In such places it burrows under 

 ground, forming a shallow retreat from two to three yards in 

 length, generally terminating in a round chamber, situated for 

 better security among the roots of some tree. Some, however, 



