294^ 



THE WEASEL. 



Although this odour from individuals of the 

 weasel tribe is very distressing to our own nasal 

 sensibilities, it by no means follows that the scent 

 should have a similar effect upon those of all other 

 animals. For example, the smell from purulent car- 

 rion is certainly very disagreeable to us bipeds ; — 

 still it cannot prove so to the dog — for, in lieu of 

 avoiding it, this quadruped never loses an oppor- 

 tunity of rolling in it. I, myself, have often seen 

 fowls run to an old sow, and pick up voraciously 

 what was still smoking on the ground behind her, 

 although their crops were distended with corn at 

 the time. This act of the fowls appeared a very 

 nasty deed to me ; but they, of course, could not 

 have seen it in the same point of view. 



If the polecat has had the fetid gland " given 

 him by Nature as a defence," then must Nature have 

 given a sweet one to the civet for its destruction ; 

 seeing that, whilst we shun the first on account of 

 its insupportable stench^ we pursue and kill the last 

 in order to obtain its perfume. Now, as both these 

 animals are of the same family, I cannot help 

 remarking, v/ith Sterne, in the case of " the poor 

 negro girl," that Nature has put one of this tribe 

 sadly over the head of the other, if the North 

 American theory be sound. 



Again, if Nature has given this abominable 

 stench to many of the polecat tribe, as a defence," 

 she has cruelly neglected our former invader, the 

 Hanoverian rat. The polecat is not much exposed 

 to destruction, as its movements are chiefly noctur- 

 nalj and, in general, it is apt to shun the haunts of 



