1 82 MAMMALIA. TER^. "Weafels. 



yellowifh white ; the throat, breaft, and belly are white : In winter, in the more temperate regions, 

 it is fometimes. mottled with brown and white ; but in more fevere winters becomes entirely white ; 

 thefarther north, and the more rigorous the climate, the white is the purer ; thofe of Britain gene- 

 rally retain a yellowifh tinge. -In Perfia.and other more ibuthern parts, it is, brown the whole year. 



360 18. Common Weafel. — 12. Mujlela vulgaris, ti. 



The upper parts of the body are of a pale reddiffi brown, the lower parts white.; the 

 tail of the fame colour with the body. Erxleb. mam. 471. Schreber, iii. 498. t. cxxxviii. 



Muftela, or Weafel, -reddifh -above and white below. Briff. quad. 1 75. — Common Weafel, Muf- 

 tela vulgaris. Aldrov. dig. 307. Jonft. quad. 152. t. 64. Gefn. quad. 752 — Weafel, Weefel, 

 Fitchet, Foumart, or Foulimart. Raj. quad. 195. — Whitret,or Whitred. Sibald, Scot. iii. 11.—- 

 Common Weefel. Sm. BufF. iv. 257. pi. lxxvii. f. 1. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 192. Arct. zool. n. 25. 

 Brit. zool. L 82. D°. illuft. tab. ci. — Wiefel. Ridinger, wilde thier. t. 30. 



361 $3. Snow Weafel. — M. vulgaris nivalis. 



Having a white fur, and fcarcely any black hairs at the point of the tail. Syft. nat. ed, 

 xii. 69. n. 11. 



Muftela, or Weafel, having' the tail of the fame colour with the body, and appearing as if cut 

 off in the middle. Hellenius, aft. Stockh. 1785, trim. 3. n. 9. t. 1. — Sno-mus. Faun. Suec. 18. 



.Inhabits the temperate and northern parts of Europe, Afia, and America, and as far to the fouth- 

 wards as the northern provinces of Perfia, . and is faid to be found even in Barbary. — In the more 

 northern parts of Ruflla and Sweden, particularly in Weftbothnia, it becomes white in winter ; even 

 in this ftate it is eafily diftinguifhable from the Ermine, being a great deal fmaller; the body and head 

 not exceeding feven inches lcng, and the tail two inches and a harf. It is very deftructive to chickens, 

 birds,. and yo.ung rabbits j eats fifh, flefh, mice and rats, eggs, and mufhrooms, but no other vege- 

 table ; it is very greedy, killing and carrying off great quantities of fmall animals at a time, above 

 eighty field mice having been found in one Weafel's hole ; it is very fetid, dirty in its habits, and 

 drinks much ; preys moftly by night, and is a great enemy to the tribe of rriice, entering their bur- 

 rows, and eating their whole bodies, only leaving their teeth undevoured : It is killed by cats with 

 great difficulty ; is very watchful, looking round with great cautioR, when running about ; is faid to 

 be feized with epileptic fits, or convuliions, when much terrified ; when tamed is very playful and 

 cunning : In fpring the female brings forth fix, eight, or more young ohes at a birth. The whole up- 

 per parts of the head and body are of a pale tawny, or reddifh brown, colour ; the under parts are 

 entirely white, with a brown fpot, on each fide, beneath the corners of the mouth ; and the ears are 

 fmall and rounded : It is a very active animal, which in .confinement is in perpetual agitation, always 

 endeavouring to conceal itfelf ; its motions confift moftly of unequal and precipitant leaps ; it runs up 

 the fides of walls, or up trees, with great facility, making at firft a hidden bound feveral feet high, 

 and feizes its prey in the fame manner ; it deftrovs pigeons, fparrows, ferpents, water-rats, moles, 

 field-mice, quails, partridges, and every other fmall animal it is able to mafter ; is very fetid when ir- 

 ritated or frightened, and feems not incommoded even by the moft intolerable fmells, as there are in- 

 ftapces of the female making her neft ?.r.d littering her young in exceffively putrid carcafies. It may 



be 



