THE CO>IMON WEESEL. 32^ 



land feet to prepare for a combat. In the night, 

 they were extremely restless and active ; but daring 

 the day, and particularly after eating, they generally 

 slept so sound for half an hoi-ir. or an hour, that 

 they might be pushed, shaken, and even pricked, 

 without being awakened. 



The chase of the Sable, accordin^r to Mr. Pen - 

 nant, was, daring the more barbarous periods of 

 the Russian Empire, the principal task of the un- 

 happy exiles who were banished into Siberia ; and 

 who, as well as the soldiers sent there, were obliged 

 to furnish, within a given time, a certain quantity of 

 furs : but as Siberia is now become more populous, 

 the Sables have, in a great measure, quitted it, and 

 retired farther to the north and east, into the desert 

 forests and mountains *. 



THE COMMON WEESEL '|~. 



This is an active httle animal, well-known in our 

 own country. Its length, exclusive of the rail, is about 

 seven inches ; and its height, not above two and a 

 half. The colour of its upper parts is a pale reddish- 

 brown : and its breast and belly are white ; but on 

 each side, below the corners of tlie mouth is a 

 brown spot. The ears are small and rounded, and 

 the eyes black. 



* Ppnn. Quad. ii. 323. 

 t Synonyms. — Viverra Vulgaris. S/ian: — Mustela Vulgaris. Lhin. 

 Weescl. Fitchit. Foumart, or FouliuKu-t. /?«y.— Whitret, or Whitrcd. 

 'Sidald. S/unva Got. ZjoL pi. Qo.— ^eii-. Swarf. 1^- 



