64 
WHITE WEASEL. 
22d. This morning we found all the white hair on the outward ridge 
of the hack had fallen, and portions of the thighs and shoulders had 
become broader ; the coloured parts were of a rich brown to the very 
nose, and there existed indications of small dark spots coming from 
the sides of the belly, somev'hat like so many beads strung on a thread, 
separated from the lower edge of the back ridge by a line of white 
of about half an inch. The weasel continues as lively as ever. 
When asleep, it curls its body around, and the tail encircles the whole 
animal, the end covering the nose. The eyes appear to be kept care- 
fully uncovered. The general tints of the coloured parts of this Wea- 
sel were very much darker than in any other specimen which we have 
in our collection. When angry, it emitted a sharp shrill cry, and snapped 
with all its might at the objects presented to it. It was very cleanly 
in its habits, never rendering its sleeping apartment disagreeable. 
28th. Our Weasel got out of its cage by pushing the wires apart, 
passing through an aperture not exceeding five-eighths of an inch, as we 
suppose by putting its head diagonally through the bars. The door and 
windows of our room were closed, however, and, when we entered, our 
little fellow looked at us as if well acquainted, but soon ran behind a 
box. It devoured last night at least half a pound of beef, kept in the 
room for its day’s ration. We placed the cage, with the door open, on 
the floor, and by walking round the box that concealed it, the animal 
was induced to run towards the cage, and was again secured in it. 
We have often observed this species whilst retreating ; if near its 
place of concealment, it does so backwards, and we observed the same 
movement when it passed from one section of its cage to the other, drag- 
ging its food and concealing it among the straw. While we were sitting 
at a distance from its retreat, it proceeded by leaps very swiftly to with- 
in two or three feet of us, when it suddenly threw itself round and re- 
treated backward, as mentioned before. 
The purplish brown was nowaugmented on the thighs and shoulders to the 
knee joints, no white hairs remaining mixed with those that were coloured. 
Beneath the jaws, separate small brown spots appeared at equal distances, 
leaving an intermediate space of white, as was the case along the flanks. 
The root of the tail had acquired no farther change. Since last wmek our 
animal has diffused a very strong disagreeable odour, musky and fetid, 
which may be attributable to this being its breeding season ; we observed 
that the smell was more disagreeable in the mornings and evenings, than 
at mid-day. 
April. — On paying our accustomed visit to our Weasel this evening, 
we found it dead, which put a stop to any further observation of its habits. 
Its measurements are as follows : 
