232 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHANGES OF 



made formidable opposition to an examination. The man raised his 

 price upon it as soon as he ascertained that it was becoming white. 



If I were not deceived in my observations, it will, then, appear that 

 the Ermine has only two, instead of seven colours in a year. In the 

 spring it casts off its white coat, and becomes brown ; the hairs may be 

 a little lighter at first than they become a week after, as is the case 

 with those of other quadrupeds. In autumn these yellowish brown 

 hairs drop off, and are replaced by the white fur of winter. In inves- 

 tigating the changes to which this animal, which so seldom comes 

 under the inspection of the naturalist, is subject, we may derive some 

 information from this process of nature in regard to species with which 

 we are more familiar. If the old hair of the Ermine changes from 

 white to brown, in spring, previous to its shedding, we may presume 

 that a similar process will be observed in the Virginia Deer. A pair 

 of the latter animals are now shedding their hair under my daily in- 

 spection. The long, gray hairs of winter are continually dropping off; 

 they have not undergone the slightest change. Reasoning from analogy, 

 on the principle of Dr Flemming, these ought to become red, the co- 

 lour of the hair of the deer in summer. This, however, is not the case 

 in this species, nor in any other with which I am acquainted. 



Although I feel a tolerable degree of certainty that I was not de- 

 ceived in my observations on the Ermine, yet, as they were not made 

 in reference to this mooted point, I have a strong desire to have the 

 subject further investigated by some scientific naturalist.* 



* The Ermine is easily captured in a box trap, and can be fed on any kind of fresh meat, 

 although it prefers birds and mice. The old, which I had at different times in confinement, 

 although they did not seem to suffer in their health, never became reconciled to captivity. 

 One of this species, however, taken when about five months old, appeared in a few weeks to 

 have lost all its wildness and ferocity, leaving the cage at my call, following me about my 

 study, and taking food from my hand. It was occasionally let loose in the outhouses and 

 barn, where it made fearful havoc among the rats and mice. I observed it did not seize a rat, 

 as this species is wont to do when it attacks poultry, by the neck, but pounced upon it sud- 

 denly, sinking its teeth into the skull, and then leaping off a few feet (as if to avoid being bitten), 

 leaving it to struggle and die, without any further effort on the part of its enemy. When it 

 had killed a considerable number, it was in the habit of dragging them on a heap, and covering 

 them with straw. On these occasions it showed some reluctance to return to its place of con- 

 finement. After having tasted the sweets of liberty, it would often conceal itself for a day or 

 two in the neighbourhood of its prey, and the calls of hunger alone would bring it back again 

 to the house. On an occasion of this kind it disappeared, and it was supposed had been killed 



