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13. Mustela vulgaris (Linn). Weasel. 
Common. The female is locally known as the “Mouse hunter.” 
The weasel climbs trees with great expertness, in search of food or 
to escape pursuit. Mr. Gurney saw one which, when pursued, 
climbed an oak tree, and curled itself up on a branch fully thirty 
feet above the ground ; he remarks, “ that it seemed to climb as 
well as a squirrel.” 
14. Mustela ermine a (Linn). Stoat. 
The stoat in Norfolk is called the “ lobster,” which it is sug- 
gested may have originally been “ leapster,” and have arisen from 
its habit of progressing by a succession of leaps or bounds ; 
another suggestion is that it derives its name from the red colour 
of its fur. It is frequentlj'' found in the full white winter dress in 
Norfolk. 
15. Mustela putorius (Linn). Polecat. 
Although generally met with, by no means common in Norfolk. 
About Diss, the Eev. H. T. Frere finds it common ; he says, “they 
seem to leave the lower grounds about October. I once caught 
seven, two old ones and five young, in a barn at Eoydon. On two 
or three occasions I have turned out burrows on the Eoydon fen, 
which have contained eels and frogs, generally half decomposed. 
I saw the tracks of several in the last snow.” 
16. Martes foina? (Gmel). Common Marten ? 
Paget, writing in 1834, says, “the marten was formerly found 
at Herringfleet, but is now extremely rare.” Mr. Gurney was 
informed by an old woodman that “ Marten Cats ” were found in 
Brook woods “during the latter part of the last century,” and 
adds, “it is probably impossible now to ascertain to which of the 
two races of martens found in Great Britain those formerly inhabi- 
ting Norfolk belonged.” 
17. VuLPES VULGARIS (Briss). Fox. 
But for the protection afforded by sportsmen the fox would long 
ago have been extinct, as it is, frequent importations are necessary 
, to keep up the stock ; it can, therefore, hardly be said to exist in a 
state of nature. Probably the foxes found in Norfolk, previously 
to the re-establishment of the fox-hounds, were only stragglers. 
Mr. Stevenson tells me he was infornuid by Mr. Thomas Edwards, 
I 
