1845.] Rough Notes on the Zoology of Candahar. 347 



absurdity, the animal possessing in every respect the same propensities 

 as its European congeners. Its food consists of birds, rats, mice, 

 lizards, beetles, and even snails, all of which it finds in abundance in 

 the gardens around Candahar. The first I saw was brought to me 

 by a gardener who had dug it out of a hole ; and a pair of these little 

 savages was also found in another garden, where they had brought 

 forth their young in a hole in the earth. The propensity to destroy 

 life, and the thirst for blood, was soon manifested in those which I 

 kept confined. 



One of these animals refused to feed during a day and a night, al- 

 though his cage was plentifully supplied with raw meat and beetles ; 

 but on introducing four Wagtails ( Motacillce ) , he was instantly arous- 

 ed by their fluttering, seizing and destroying them one after the other 

 as quickly as possible, and then retiring with them into an inner part 

 of the cage, where he regaled himself on the blood of his victims, and 

 indemnified himself for his long fast. 



He ate little of the flesh, however, but greedily licked up the drops 

 of blood as they trickled from the wounds of his slaughtered prey. 

 He also destroyed a couple of large Rats ( Arvicolce) in a similar 

 manner, showing great skill in seizing them so as to preclude all 

 chance of their either injuring him or escaping from his fierce attack. 

 When the rats were introduced into his cage, he was coiled up asleep 

 in one corner of the inner part, but hearing them bustling about he 

 was soon on the alert, and, cautiously advancing to the small round 

 hole which formed the entrance to his sleeping apartment, took a sur- 

 vey of his unsuspecting visitors. He then drew back as if to avoid 

 observation, until one of the rats approaching his retreat, he suddenly 

 darted upon him and pulled him, in spite of his squeaks and struggles, 

 into his sanctum, where he soon despatched his victim. 



After a short pause, he again placed himself so as to obtain a view 

 of the remaining rat, which shortly fared a similar fate to its compa- 

 nion. With the latter, however, there was a severe struggle, and the 

 ferret was obliged to leave his inner apartment; yet although he rolled 

 over and over in the scuffle, he never quitted his hold, and so dexte- 

 rously had he seized his prey, that to bite or shake him off was equally 

 impossible. He seized both rats precisely in the same place, namely, 



