HABITS OF THE POLECAT, 
71 
minutes, when the Dog howled, lowered his tail, endeavoured, but fruitlessly, to 
remove his enemy with his paws, and, on the Polecat being taken off, fairly (or 
rather, foully) took to his heels; nor could any encouragement of his masters 
induce the recreant to return to the charge—“ Jemmy” all the while sitting 
calmly on my knee, licking his lips, apparently regarding it quite as a matter 
of indifference whether or not he should be called upon to resume the contest. 
When engaged in fighting, especially if the prey be attempted to be removed, the 
cry of the Polecat resembles that peculiar sound that follows the spit of a Cat, 
somewhat like the word ha - ah ; the ha being lengthened out and terminating 
in rather an abrupt alii Another cry expresses pleasure, and resembles that of 
the Ferret, uttered by both sexes on particularly pleasurable occasions, and I 
have observed that the same cry or murmur which expresses pleasure is employed 
also in a more vehement and hurried manner by the animal when suffering a 
slight degree of pain; if the pain, however, become severe, the murmur will be 
broken into successive and piercing screams. 
A miniature-painter with whom I was acquainted, had a prodigious male 
Ferret, very nearly two feet long—without exception the largest I ever saw, and 
at that time much superior in size and apparent strength to my Polecat, which, as 
I have already stated, was not nearly full-grown. We one day introduced these 
animals to one another—both were equally tame, and neither appeared in the 
least surprised at the meeting. “Jemmy” probably mistook him for one of his 
friends, my own Ferrets; and I presume my friend’s animal, in like manner, 
took “ Jemmy” for one of his own kind. A few moments passed in smelling and 
examining one another, when, suddenly, a strong smell from “ Jemmy” informed 
me that he meditated mischief. The hair on the tails of both animals became 
rough like bottle-brushes, or like a Cat’s tail when irritated. They moved their 
heads rapidly in different directions, confronting one another—the Ferret was 
silent, but the Polecat uttered frequent ha -- ah’s ; each eagerly sought to take 
hold of his opponent, without exposing himself to a similar injury. At length 
Iheir fury rose to its height—the animals closed—the Ferret’s strength for an 
instant appeared to give him the victory—for a moment they rolled over and over 
on the carpet; but when again they rose, “Jemmy” was uppermost, holding his 
enemy by the shoulder, and, to employ an expression well-understood by Dog- 
fanciers, “ nibbling” and shaking desperately. As I hope most of my readers are 
unacquainted with the mysteries of a Dog-fight, I may be permitted to explain 
that “nibbling” is a word used to express the repeated, and repeated , and repeated 
bite—each bite comprising a larger mouthful of the enemy’s throat, leg, or 
shoulder, within the Dog’s jaws. This method of fighting is particularly to be 
observed with the blood-hound. I have often seen it the case, also, with the 
greyhound before the Hare can be taken from him. The bull-Dog is a great 
