548 
The Hiftory c/ A N I M A L S, 
Muftela albidoftaveftcens capite deprejfto, 
; The yellowifth-white Muftela^ with a flatted head, ■ 
This is of the middle fize, between the pole-cat and weafel } it is, indeed, but lit¬ 
tle inferior to the former in length, though lefs corpulent: the head is fmall and de¬ 
preffed, the fnout fharp j the eyes look very fierce and red 5 the ears are fhort, patu¬ 
lous, and eredt 3 they are confiderably wide, efpecially toward the bafe: the 'mouth 
is large, and the teeth very fharp. 
The neck is fiiort and (lender 3 the body is long and thin : the legs are fhort, and 
are each divided at the foot into five toes, and there armed with very fharp and mo¬ 
derately long claws: the whole animal is of a yellowifh-white colour, but the under 
part is darker than the upper, which is againft the ufual courfe in thefe animals. 
j 
It is kept very frequent with us, but is a native of Africa. Our people ufe it in 
taking of rabbits 3 they plant nets at the mouths of the burrows, and turn in the fer¬ 
ret, which forces the creature out of it’s retreat, and it is taken. Before they do this, 
they are obliged to few up the mouth of the ferret, other wife it would deftroy the 
vidtim, and mangle it. .. 
Muftela nivea aurihus anguflis , caudee apice nigro . 
The white Muftela, with narrow ears , and the tip }t ©ttlUtU 
oft the tail black . 
This is an extreamly beautiful creature 3 the bignefs is that of the common weafel, 
and there have been thofe who have fuppofed it the fame fpecies, only differing in co¬ 
lour, but they cannot have feen perfedt fpecimens of the animal. 
The head is very fmall, depreffed, broad at the crown, and fharp at the fnout: the 
anterior part, in a great degree, refembles that of the head of a greyhound : the ears 
are fhort, eredt, and narrow 3 the eyes are fmall, but fomewhat prominent 5 the 
mouth is large, and the teeth fmall but fharp : the neck is fhort, and fomewhat thick 5 
the body is about eight inches in length, but it is very (lender: the legs are fhort, and 
the feet are each divided into five (lender and weak toes, which are armed with fharp 
white claws. 
The whole body of the animal is white, the pureft and brightefl colour that can be 
expreffed by that word : the tip of the tail is of a deep black 5 about the eyes it is 
of a dufky colour between grey and yellow, and there is a fpot of the fame colour 
in the middle of the head, another between the fhoulders, and, finally, a third juft 
above the infertion of the tail. 
This is a native of the northern parts of Europe 5 it lives in places remote from 
towns or houfes, and feeds on moles and mice, and other fmall animals. The fur is 
extreamly valued.' All the writers on beads have defcribed it. Ray calls it Muftela 
Candida five Animal Ermineum 5 and moft of the others Ermineus, or Animal Er- 
mineum. 
Muftela ftulva auribus cineraftcentibus . 
The brown Mufttela , with grey ears . 
XDe £>atrte. 
This is very like the common weafel in form, but it is equal to the pole-cat in fize: 
the head is fmall, and of an ovated form, depreffed on the forehead, and fharp at the 
fnout: the upper jaw is longer than the under 3 the eyes are large, prominent, and 
dark 5 the ears are fhort, broad, eredt, and patulous 3 the mouth is wide, and the 
teeth are fharp: the neck is very fhort, and tolerably thick 5 the body is long and 
(lender: the tail is moderately long, and is well covered with hair, and the legs are 
