294 
AMERICAN WEASELS. 
on that day, and he had wonnd a thick woollen comforter round his neck, so that he was par- 
tially protected. 
Finding that he had no chance of beating oh the pertinacious animals, he flung his stick 
down, fixed his hat firmly oyer his temples, and pressing his hands to his neck, so as to guard 
that perilous spot as much as possible from the sharp teeth of the Stoats, set off homewards as 
fast as he could run. By degrees, several of the animals dropped off, but others clung so 
determinately to their opponent, that when he arrived at his stables, no less than five Stoats 
were killed by his servants as they hung on his person. His hands, face, and part of his neck 
were covered with wounds ; but owing to the presence of mind with which he had defended 
his neck, the large blood-vessels had escaped without injury. The distance from the spot 
where he had been attacked to his own house was nearly four miles. 
He always declared that when he struck the Stoat with the stone, its companion called out 
“ Murder ! ” 
The Stoat is, like the weasel, possessed of a powerful and exceedingly unpleasant odor ; 
yet even this disagreeable accompaniment does not always suffice to preserve it from being 
killed and eaten by predaceous animals more powerful than itself. Even so fastidious an 
animal as the domestic cat has been known to capture a Stoat, to eat part of it herself, and to 
distribute the remainder to her kittens, who partook of the powerfully scented food without 
manifesting any reluctance. 
Although so wild an animal, it has been tamed with as great success as the weasel and the 
ferret, displaying the same gentle and active playfulness as has been already mentioned as 
belonging to the weasel when in a state of domestication. The animal was suffered to roam at 
will about the house, and never gave any intimation that it wished to make its escape. It was 
an amusingly playful little creature, delighting to leap upon the members of the family, and 
run up their backs. But its greatest pleasure seemed to be in attacking a couple of old stuffed 
magpies that stood upon a shelf. It used to jump upon them, twist its serpentine body round 
their necks, drag out their feathers between its teeth, and would not unfrequently, in the 
exuberance of its spirits, knock the bird off the shelf, when magpie and Stoat would come to 
the ground together. 
Iisr the family Mustelidce , species are very numerous, and America has a fair share. 
Ninety-two species are recorded. According to Wallace, of eight sub-families, three are rep- 
resented on the American Continent. Under the sub-family Mustelince are embraced the 
Weasels, Polecats, Sables, Martens, etc. 
The American Sable, a notable member of this family, resembles closely the Pine Marten 
of Europe. Its fur is in great request, though subject, like all other kinds, to fluctuation or 
the caprice of fashion. 
The Fisher, or Black Cat (. Mustela pennant i), is the largest known species of the family. 
Its bushy tail and large size make it a more attractive creature than the other members of the 
family. It is less known than any of our mammalia. But few years since the Fisher was 
abundant in the northern portion of the Middle States. This animal is said by the hunters to 
prey upon the Canada porcupine — a feat that many another animal shuns with dread. During 
seasons of extreme want in the supply of animal food, the puma will attack the porcupine ; 
and frequent examples of the uncomfortable results of this are seen in the numerous quills 
studding the nose of the creature, which must produce great suffering. 
The range of this great Weasel is from the Great Slave Lake and Labrador, to the Pacific, 
and southwards, occasionally, on the mountains of Virginia. 
The Least Weasel (. Putorius pusiltus ) is the smallest of the North American forms. Its 
tail is extremely short, and has no black tip, like those of other species. Most people know 
what a Weasel is, but the habits of these creatures are such that they are not often seen. If 
the temper of our little Weasel is anything like that of the European, with which it was once 
confounded, it is a most formidable creature. 
The Small Brown Weasel ( Putorius cicognani ) is a well marked and easily recognized 
