WEE 
dthers run from it as foon as they perceive it's 
fiiiell; and even the former are obliged to relieve 
themfelves, by often thrufting their nofcs into the 
ground. ProfelTor Kalm informs us that he was 
in danger of being fuffocated by the ftench of one 
of thefe Weafels that v/as purfued into a houie 
where he flept; and that the cattle were fo much 
afFe^led by it, as to bellow through pain. -The 
linell of another, which was killed by a woman 
in a cellar, fo overcame her, that (he kept her bed 
for feveral days afterwards. Neverthelefs, the 
Americans eat it's flefh, which they reckon deli- 
cious food ; but they are careful to deprive it of 
thofe glands which are fo abominably ofFenfive. 
The Virginian Weafel differs little from the 
reft of the kind, except that it is capable of being 
tamed J and then it will even follow it's matter. It 
never emits it's ftench but when either injured or 
frightened. 
In other refpefts, the fquafh, the conepate, the 
fl<unk, the zorilla, and the fizzler, do not mate- 
rially differ. All the tribe is mifchievous and 
difgufting: neverthelefs, the fur of fome fpecies is 
exceffively valued and the civet is no lefs efteemed 
for it's perfume. 
WEASEL COOT. A name by which fome 
ornithologifts exprefs the Mergus Minutus of Lin- 
nJEus; called alfo the red-headed fm.ew. 
WEEK FISH. An appellation given by fome 
ichthyologifts to a very delicate Eaft Indian fifh; 
termed Wit-vifch by the Dutch. 
WEEVER. An Englifh appellation for the 
fifh which Willughby and fome others denomi- 
nate Draco Marinus. Under this title Pennant 
defcribes the following fpecies. 
Weever, Common J the Trachinus Draco of 
Linnafus. This fifti appears to have been well 
known to the ancients; who remark, that the 
wounds inflided by it's fpines are extremely pain- 
ful, attended with a violent burning, and moft pun- 
gent fliooting; and fometimes with an inflamma- 
tion. 
It is the general opinion that thefe fymptoms 
arife from fomething more than the fmall wound 
this fifl-j is capable of inflidling; and that there is 
a venom infufed into it, at leaft fuch as proceeds 
from the fpines that compofe the firft dorfal fin, 
which is dyed with black, and has a moft fufpi- 
cious afpeft. Some perfons have ufcd fea-fand, 
rubbed on the place affeftcd, as afpecific againft 
the wounds of the Weever; while others have ap- 
plied ftale warm urine with fuccefs. 
This fifli buries itfelf in the fand, leaving only 
It's nofe expofed; and, if trod on, immediately 
ftrikes with great force. But, notwithftanding 
this noxious quality of the fpines, the fiefti is ex- 
cellent food. 
The Common Weever grows to the length of 
twelve inches; but is frequently found much 
jfhorter. The irides are yellow; the under jaw is 
■longer than the upper, and flopes very much to- 
wards the belly ; and tlie teeth are fmall. The 
back is ftraight; the fides are flat; the belly is 
prominent; the lateral line is ftraight-; and the co^ 
vers of the gills are armed with a very ftrongfpine. 
.The -firft dorfal fin confifts of five very ftrong 
fpines, which, together with the intervening, are 
tinged with black; the fecond confifts of feveral 
-foft rays, commences juft at the end of the firft, 
and extends nearly to the tail. The pedoral fins 
are broad and angular ; and the ventral fins are 
fnlall. The vent is placed remarkably forward j 
WHA 
the anal fin, which extends within a fmall diftance 
of the tail, is (lightly hollowed in the middle; and 
the fides arc longitudinally marked with two or 
three dirty yellow lines, and tranfverfely by num- 
bers of fmall ones. 
Weever, Great. This fpecies, which ap- 
pears to be the Draco Major feu Araneus of Sal- 
vian, and inhabits the fea near Scarborouoh, is 
fometimes upwards of a foot in length. The 
head is flat; the eyes are large; the edges of the 
jaws are rough, with minute teeth; the head is co- 
vered with fmall tubercles ; the cheeks and gills arc 
overfpread with fmall fcales ; and a fliarp fpine rifes 
on the gills. The firft dorfal fin is black, with five 
fpines; the fecond reaches almoft to the tail: the 
peroral fins contain three branchiofteg»rays; the 
ventral fix; and the anal fin extends oppofite to 
the fecond dorfal one. The tail is large, triangu- 
lar, and even at the extremity; and the fcales run 
in oblique lines from the back to the belly, with 
a divifion between each row. 
WEEVIL. A fmall infe^:, extremely noxi- 
ous, and deftru(5live to magazines of corn. It is 
fcarcely larger than a loufe; and appears to be of 
the fcarabasus or beetle kind, having two jointed, 
tufted horns; and a trunk, or piercer, projeding 
from the fore-part of it's head. At the extremity 
of this trunk, which is very long in proportion to 
it's body, there is a fort of forceps, with which it 
gnaws it's way into the heart of the grain, either 
for the fake of feeding on it, or in order to depo-- 
fit it's eggs. 
If thefe creatures be confined in aglafs tubeinto 
which are put a few grains of wheat, their copula- 
tion and manner of generation may be difcovered. 
The female perforates one grain, and therein dc- 
pofits a fingle egg, or two at the utmoft; and in 
this manner (he ftocks five or fix grains, for feve- 
ral days fucceffively. Each of thefe eggs, which 
is very little bigger than a grain of fand, produces 
a kind of white maggot in about a week; and this, 
in the fpace of a fortnight, turns to an aurelia, from 
which the perfedt Weevil is produced. 
This deftruftive creature is in it's turn fubjedt 
to be deftroyed by mites, while in it's egg or au- 
relia ftate. 
WEPOLON. The* Ccylonefe appellation for 
an Eaft Indian ferpent; having a very long and 
flender body, in fome meafure refembling a piece 
of cane. 
WHALE. In the Linnaean fyftem, the fcventh 
order in the clafs of mammalia. The charaflers 
are thefe: animals of this order have breathing 
apertures on the head, perioral fins, the tail placed 
horizontally, and no claws. 
This order includes four genera; themonodon, 
or fea-unicorn ; balsena, or Whale; phyfeter; and 
delphinus, comprehending the dolphin, porpeffe, 
and grampus. 
The genus of the balgena, or Whale, is diftin- 
guifhed by having horny laminJE in the upper jaw^ 
inftead of teeth; and a double fiftula, or pipe, in 
the head. It includes four fpecies. 
Whale, Common, or Greenland; the Ba- 
laena Myfticetus of Linnseus. This fpecies is the 
largeft animal of which we have as yet received 
any authentic information, being frequently found 
in the northern feas ninety feet in length : but, (bmc 
centuries ago, Whales were much larger, when 
the captures were lefs frequent, and the fi(h had 
time to grow. Such is their bulk within the Arc- 
tic circle; but within the bounds of the torrid 
zone. 
