E R M 
at thofe periods the -whole country is covered with 
deep fnow, and the provifions which the creatures 
are then able to procure are both fcanty and pre- 
carious. The progreffive finenefs of the fur may 
alfo arife from the intenfenefs of the cold, which 
contracting the pores of the {k\n, the hair of courfe 
affumes the fhape and fize of the apertures through 
v/hich it grows, as wires are extended by being 
drawn tiirough fmaller orifices. But, leaving fuch 
arguments to the inveftig-ation of the curious, fuf- 
fice it to remark, that all the animals of the arftic 
climates m,ay be faid to poflefs their winter and 
fummer garments, except near the poles, where 
the cold is always fo very fevere, and food fo ex- 
tremely fcarce, that one unvarying colour univer- 
fally diftinguifhes the quadruped inhabitants. 
As Ermines are chiefly valuable when cloathed 
in their winter attire, we fliall confider them in that 
point of view. Daubenton, we are told, procured 
one of them covered with it's white winter fur, 
which he put into a cage, that he might obferve 
the procefs of moulting it's hair. He received it 
at the beginning of March : in a very fl:iort time it 
began to flied it's coat, and a mixture of brown 
was obferved to prevail among the white hairs j 
fo that, by the ninth of that month, the head was 
almoft entirely of a reddifh brown hue. This co- 
lour feemed at firft gradually to extend along the 
neck, and down the back, in a ftripe half an inch 
in breadth; the fore-part of the legs then affumed 
the fame colour; and a part of the head, the thighs, 
and the tail, changed lafl: of all : but at the end of 
the lame month, no white remained, except on the 
throat and belly, which in this fpecies alv/ays retain 
that hue. However, he did not enjoy the fatis- 
faftion of feeing the animal refume it's former 
whitenefs, though he kept it upwards of two years j 
which circumftance undoubtedly originated from 
it's confinement, the quantity of it's food, and the 
fuperior clemency of a French to an ar6lic win- 
ter. During it's confinement, this animial always 
appeared wild and untraftable, and even in a kind 
of violent agitation, except when alleep, in which 
ftate it often continued three parts of the day. 
The eyes of this very elegant little creature were 
fprightly; it's phyfiognomy was pleafant; it's mo- 
tions were fo fwift, that the eye could not follow 
them; but it's fmell was very rank and offenfive. 
It's aliment confifted of eggs and flefli, but it ufu- 
ally fuff^ered both to become corrupted before it 
touched them. As fome animals ot tlic Ermine 
kind are known to be very fond of honey, it was 
accordingly fet before this creature; which, after 
being deprived of other food for three or four 
days, eat of that fubftance, but died very ftiordy 
afterwards: a convincing proof of it's being a 
diftinft Ipecies from either the pole- cat or the mar- 
tin, v/hich feed on honey with avidity, though they 
greatly refemble the Ermine both in their fliape 
and difpofition. 
The furs of Ermines in the north of Europe and 
in Siberia conftitute a valuable article of commerce; 
in which countries tliofe creatures are by far more 
numerous than in the temperate climates. In Si- 
beria, they burrow in the fields, and are taken in 
traps baited with flelh. In Norway, they are either 
fliot with blunt arrows, or caught in fnares : each 
of thefe ambuflies is compofed of two flat {loiies, 
one of them being propped up by mieans of a piece 
of wood, to which is faftened a baited firing; fo 
that whenever die animal attempts to pull it away, 
theftone drops, and cruflies it to death. 
ESC 
The Ermine is fometimes found white in Great 
Britain, and is then called the white weafel. It's 
fur, liowever, is of very little value, poflTefrmg 
neither the thicknels, clofenefs, nor whitenefs, of 
thofe which are imported from Siberia, Indeed, 
the hair of this creature in every country changes 
in a courfe of time; for, as much of it's beautiful 
whitenefs is imparted to it by certain arts praftifed 
by furriers, fo it's natural colour again returns, and 
it's former brightnefs can never be reftored. 
ERNE. An appellation given by fome natu- 
ralifts to the cinereous eagle. See Eagle, Ci- 
nereous, 
ERYTHRINUS, A fiih called by fome au- 
thors rubellio and travolino; and, by the Venetians, 
alboro, or arboro. It is but a fmali fpecies, fome- 
what refembles the gilthead in fliape, and is en- 
tirely of a pale red colour. The tail is forked; 
the nofe is lharp; and the eyes, which are large, 
have filvery irides, and fometimes a flight tinge of 
red intermixed with the white. The mouth is 
fmall ; the fore-teeth are broad, the hinder ones 
being rather tubercles than teedi ; and the cover- 
ings of the gills are fcaly. It has only one dorfal 
fin, the anterior rays or nerves of which are prickly, 
the other being foft and flnooth to the touch. 
_ ERYTHROCYANEUS. An appellation 
given by fome authors to the red and blue mac- 
caw, with a cuniform tail, and the fides of the head 
naked and rough. See Maccaw\ 
ESCALLOPS. A family of bivalve fliells; 
the eflential charafter of which is a trigonal finus, 
and an elaftlc cartilage for it's hinge in the very 
centre of the top of the fhell. The fubordinate 
characters of Efcallops confill in their being eared, 
which indeed moil authors have made their chief 
ciiftincftion ; whereas there are other eared fhells be- 
fides Efcallops, viz. the fpondyles and margariti- 
feras; and, vice verfa, there may be Efcallops with- 
out ears. Another inferior charaCler is that of 
the tops running into a perfe6t ftraight line, and 
thence gradually widening to a round bottom. 
The fpecies in this family are very numerous; 
fome of v/hich are very curious and beautiful, 
namely, the ducal mantle; the compafs, or fole; 
the duck's foot, or coral; and fome others. 
It is perhaps wortliy of remark, that the colours 
of tlie under llielis of Efcallops are ahvays fainter 
than thofe of the upper ones ; and that the valves 
have fometimes a different tinge, as may be ob- 
ferved in the compafs, or fole, which has one valve 
of a chefnut brown, and the other milk white. 
The gener?dity of authors rank thefe fnells as a 
particular family, and call diem peCtens. Gual- 
ticri makes different genera of thofe which have 
equal, and fiich as have unequal valves ; the former 
he calls pctftcn, the latter concha peCtinata; and 
the Efcallops with unequal or fingle ears he terms 
peftunculi. LinnjEus makes diem a genus of oy~ 
fters, and has accordingly arranged them under 
that appellation in his three hundred and thirteenth 
genus. 
It has been afferted by fome naturalifts, that 
Efcallops move with fuch amazing force, as fome- 
times to bound out of the catcher in which they 
are inclofed; and that their manner of leaping, or 
raifing diemfelves up, confiflrs in forcing their un- 
der valves againil thofe fubfcances on which thev 
He. 
ESCH. a name given by Flildegard, and fome 
others, to the fifh caile-d in England the grayling, 
or umber j- and, by die generality of authors, thyn- 
ralhjs. 
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