67 
HABITS OF THE FITCHET WEASEL, OR POLECAT.* 
By a Student of Nature. 
In a late paper I had occasion to make allusions (Vol. IV., p. 458) to a tame 
Polecat; and as the Polecat is an animal not very frequently to be met with in 
a state of domestication, I am inclined to think some account of its habits may 
not be wholly destitute of interest. 
This animal is indeed seldom seen in confinement at all, far less tame, being 
but rarely an inhabitant of public menageries, or zoological gardens : and its foetid 
odour rendering it no very desirable addition to the collection of an individual” 
I have seen but few of these animals myself, but have been fortunate enough to 
have had two in my possession, one of which was killed by a young Boar-hound 
chained too near him-—the other, having been caught young, I found no difficulty 
in reducing to perfect domestication, in which state he was exceedingly amusing 
and affectionate. It was during my residence in Edinburgh that I got this 
creature, which is more abundant, and grows to a larger size in Scotland, than 
in England or Ireland. The house in which my family resided, was situated at 
the outskirts of the town, and in rather a thinly-inhabited neighbourhood: and 
as it was regarded a fashionable part of Edinburgh, there were few around us 
that were not suitable acquaintances; but even had it been otherwise, few of our 
neighbours would have remained long in ignorance of my predilections in the 
way of Natural History, especially the boys, who were always ready to fetch me 
any animal of a rare or uncommon description they had met with, well knowing 
they might depend on receiving a certain and fully-adequate remuneration, not to 
be looked for from any except enthusiasts such as I was considered. I was 
well aware that my devotion to Zoology, especially as exemplified by my 
insatiable desire of adding to my stock of living specimens, as well as the 
surprising degree of tameness to which I reduced them, besides the numerous 
canine attendants which invariably followed me in my walks, alike contributed 
to undermine whatever good opinion my neighbours might have entertained of 
my sanity; and I have often fancied I detected many a sly look, and perhaps 
even a lurking smile on the faces of some of my young collectors, as they pre¬ 
sented me with a Rat, piebald Mouse, Weasel, Bat, or some such thing; but I 
twenty Parts. Mr. Gould has, at length, publicly confirmed the accuracy of our calculation. 
The last and twentieth Part will appear, we presume, in April, 1837.—S. P.-[The 22nd and 
concluding Part was published Aug. 1,1837, as announced in our Vol. II., p. 340.— Ed. Nat.] 
* From the Dublin Medical Press of June 12, 1839. 
