SIBERIAN W.EAS&L . 
383 
white hairs intermixed, but wholly black at the 
end. The animal is about fourteen inches long. 
It inhabits only Poland and the southern pro- 
vinces of Russia ; in Asia, the mountains of Cau- 
casus, Georgia, and Bucharia. It is a most vo- 
racious creature, feeding on the marmots, mice, 
and lesser animals, where it resides. It seizes its 
prey, and first sucks out the blood. It lives 
usually in holes made by other beasts ; but is not 
incapable of digging a burrow for itself. It sleeps 
little, preys by night, and is very fierce and uu- 
tameable ; its eyes are of a flaming brightness ; 
it is very active, and moves by frequent jumps ; its 
smell is very fetid, especially when it erects its tail,, 
which it does when it is angry. 
It copulates in the spring ; goes two months, 
and brings from four to eight young ones, accord* 
ing to the report of the natives. 
Siberian weasel. ) 
This weasel has a black face, whitish about the 
nostrils, and spotted towards its eyes ; the rest of the 
animal is of a deep yellow, nearly approaching to 
fox or orange colour ; its throat is sometimes 
spotted with white ; its tail is very bushy, and of 
a deeper colour than the body ; its hair in general 
is loose and long, and the soles of its feet are deeply 
covered with fur ; its body is more slender than 
that of the polecat, and approaches nearer to the 
form of the stoat ; its length is about twelve inches, 
its tail six. 
It begins to appear in the Altaic mountains, be- 
tween the Oby and the Irtish ; from whence it is 
common on wooded mountains, to the Amur and 
the lake Baikal. In its haunts, manners, and 
food, it has & great resemblance to the sable ^ but 
it does not extend so far north. 
