LITTLE NIMBLE WEASEL. 
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tinctly but somewhat irregularly drawn. All the feet are brown ; whiskers 
and nails, dark brown ; teeth, white. 
In winter : Pure white on the whole body, and for about three inches on 
the tail ; tip of the tail, black for an inch and three quarters ; tip of nose, 
flesh colour ; whiskers, mostly white, a few black. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. 
Point of nose to root of tail, 8i 
Length of tail (vertebrse), 
“ “ (to end of hair), 4f 
Point of nose to ear, 
Height of ear externally, i 
HABITS. 
We preserved a specimen of this little animal during several months in 
the winter, forty years ago, in the northern part of New York ; it had 
been captured in a box trap, which was set near its hole in a pine forest, 
whither we had tracked it on the snow, believing from its small foot-prints 
that it was some unknown species of Eodentia. What was our surprise 
Avhen on the following morning we discovered the eyes of this little 
marauder prying through the crevices of the trap. Supposing it to be a 
young ermine we preserved it through the winter, under the impression 
that it would become tame, and increasing in size, attain its full growth 
by the following spring ; we were, however, disappointed in our expecta- 
tions ; it continued wild and cross, always printing on our gloims the form 
of the cutting edges of its teeth whenever we placed our hand within the 
box. It concealed itself in its nest, in a dark corner of the cage, during 
the whole day, and at night was constantly rattling and gnawing at the 
wires in the endeavour to effect its escape. We fed it on small birds, 
which it carried to its dark retreat and devoured greedily. 
Having placed a common W easel, twice the size of our animal, in the 
cage with it, the ermine immediately attacked our little fellow, which 
ensconced itself in a corner at the back of the cage, where with open mouth 
and angry eyes, uttering a hissing spitting or sputtering noise, he drew 
back his lips and showed his sharp teeth in defiance of his opponent. 
To relieve him from a troublesome companion we removed the ermine. 
Towards spring we placed a Norway rat in his cage in order to test his 
courage. The rat and the Weasel retreated to opposite corners and eyed 
each other during the whole day ; on the following morning we found the 
voL. III. — 24 
