THE WEASEL KIND. 



THE POLECAT [Miistela putorid). 



The Polecat, or Fitchet, although much more numerous 

 in this country than the marten, is, with the exception of the 

 wilder parts of the kingdom (including some wooded parts 

 of midland England where excessive game-preserving is not 

 carried on), decidedly a rare animal. In the days when it 

 was common it must often have inflicted severe loss upon 

 the poultry-keeper, the ravages it committed among fowls 

 and ducks, and even among geese and turkeys (young and 

 old alike in the former cases), being in no wise restrained by 

 the limits of its appetite. For the polecat, finding itself in 

 the midst of plenty, killed far more victims than it could eat, 

 contenting itself for the time being with eating only the 

 brains and part of the blood of the slain ; and it is even said 

 to have gratified its love of kilHng by destroying every head 

 of poultry in the roost to which it had obtained an entry." 

 A more unwelcome denizen in a game preserve it is difficult 

 to imagine, pheasants and partridges, hares and rabbits, alike 



* Miss E. A, Ormerod contributes the following ; — " With regard to the weasel kind, in 

 their forms of stoat, weasel, and polecat, I send you a reminiscence of a massacre of poultry 

 as an example of the destructive habits which it appears to suit the polecat's view to carry 

 out, quite irrespective of its personal need of provisions. The locality was the Sedbury 

 Park Estate, the Gloucestershire property of my late father, Geo. Ormerod, D.C.L, It lay 

 along the Wye (opposite Chepstovs-) and the Severn, with a frontage of about a mile along 

 each river. In the woods and wooded cliffs there was shelter for wild life, both 

 bird and beast, vdiich to those who, like myself, cared to watch what was going 

 forward, brought many an observation of rare appearances. But with regard to the 

 polecats and weasels — the great quantity of rabbits, which almost swarmed in the clififs 

 afforded a provision that made them a pest to be constantly needing consideration ; [and 

 the polecat — though only so occasionally seen that when one was destroyed the body was 

 almost always brought to the house as a trophy for inspection of the beautiful fur, yet from 

 time to time appeared. On one occasion the following disaster swept off almost all my 

 sister's ducks. These and the common foAvls were kept in fairly large poultry-houses, about 

 twenty feet by ten, walled at back and one end, the rest believed to be made vermin-proof vrith 

 woodwork and wires ; and on the floor of this, with due accommodation, or in boxes at 

 ground level, the ducks passed the night, with the fowls on perches above. One morning, 

 however, when the dairymaid and yardman went to open the poultry-house door, instead 

 of the state of affairs they expected, the floor was strewn with the corpses of at least fourteen 

 duck?. So amazed were the two at the sight that i: never occurred to them that the cause 

 of evil was within. \Vhilst the verj- inefficient natural history committee stood at the open 

 door, holding up their hands and ejaculating, the polecat, seeing no difficulty in escaping 

 simply ran out through the door." — Editor. 



