HABITS OF THE POLECAT. 
75 
• Buccleuci-i), and I was quite certain, that in such case, all I could expect to find 
was ray lost pet’s body, and that in no very* perfect or available condition, for 
this Dog was peculiarly remarkable for his inveterate hatred to all sorts and 
descriptions of vermin; he had, some time before I got 44 Jemmy,” killed a Polecat 
on the Pentland Hills, was notorious as a Rat-killer, had killed two or three 
Dogs, and was, certainly, the last animal to whose tender mercies I should have 
wished “Jemmy” to have entrusted himself. The Dog-kennel was formed of 
stone, and on the floor was laid a large board composed of several planks laid 
together, and held in their places by cross-pieces : after searching, therefore, every 
corner, I raised this board, and underneath found my poor Polecat—no ! he was 
not dead as I at first supposed, nor, indeed, in any way injured. I took him up 
in m}- hand, and underneath found a large Rat ; he had caught it, I suppose, in one 
of the cellars, and had brought it there to devour it at his leisure. How he had 
contrived to get into the Dog’s good graces, I cannot imagine; perhaps he had ap¬ 
proached “ Lynx” with such confidence as to take him by surprise, and thus induce 
the Dog to let him pass by unmolested ; for I recollected that, once before, 44 Lynx,” 
although passionately fond of killing Cats, refused to injure o$e that, when thrown 
to him, purred, rubbed against his legs, and appeared to court his acquaintance, 
and deprecate his rage. Be the cause what it may, however, from that hour the 
two were sworn friends. I have seen them hunting together for Rats ; 44 Jemmy” 
would enter the hole (when it was large enough), 44 Lynx” would stand outside 
and pin the Rats as they came out, and by-and-by, when 44 Jemmy” was tired, 
he would also come out, sometimes dragging forth a Rat that he had secured 
within the hole, sometimes not; and when empty-handed he would, without 
scruple, regale himself on one of those which 44 Lynx” had killed; the latter 
sitting by all the time and looking on with much complacency. After this, 
44 Jemmy” always slept with 44 Lynx,” and I could now leave him at large with 
a full conviction that the noble Dog would take care of him, which, indeed, he 
always did; and I have seen him more than once give a strange Dog a good 
shaking for merely approaching his friend: this was, perhaps, a precautionary 
drubbing , judging from his own feelings, of the disposition of his fellow Dogs, to 
tear and worry all before them. 
44 Jemmy” was an excellent hand at hunting Rabbits, and never required a 
muzzle: he would go through every hole and burrow; and if he seized a Rabbit, 
would drag him forth to the light before despatching him. If he made such delay 
in a hole as to make me apprehensive he was playing me false, and lying on a 
Rabbit, I had only to whistle, chirp, &c., at the hole’s mouth, or go from hole to 
hole calling 44 Jemmy, Jemmy,” when, as soon as he heard me, he would certainly 
come out. Some naturalists have asserted that the Polecat will take the water 
after fish—catch Eels, for instance ! It may be so; but I can affirm, that 
