Chfsl. W E E S E L. 85 



The whole upper part of the body, the head, tail, 

 kgs, and feet are of a very pale tawny brown. The 

 whole under fide of the body from the chin to the 

 tail is white ; but beneath the corners of the mouth 

 on each jaw is a fpot of brown. 



This, like the reft of the kind. Is very deftruftive to 

 young birds, poultry, and young rabbets ; and be- 

 fides a great devourer of eggs. It does not eat its 

 prey on the place, but after killing it, by one bite near 

 the head, carries it off to its young, or its retreat. It 

 is a remarkably adive animal, and will run up the 

 fides of walls with fuch facility, that fcarce any place 

 is fecure from it j and its body is fojmall, that there 

 is fcarce any hole but what is pervious to it. This 

 fpecies is muc1i more domeftic than the others ; fre- 

 quenting out-houfes, barns, and grainaries ; where, 

 to make as it were fome atonement for its depreda- 

 tions among our tame fowl, it foon clears its haunts 

 from rats and mice, being infinitely more an enemy 

 to them than the cat itlelf. It brings five or fix 

 young at a time : itsflcin and excrements are moft in- 

 tolerably fetid. 



1 his animal is confounded by Linriteus with the 

 •Stoat or Ermine. He feems unacquainted with our 

 ■weefel in its brov;n color, butdefcribes it in the white 

 ilate under the title oiSr.omus^ or Mujiela nivalis *. 



* Similima Erm'meo /eJ dim Jio miner, cauda apice ptio 'vh; ii?io al- 

 tero've albo. Faun. Suec. No. 1 8. Sj]/?. Nat. 69. 



G 2 Species 



