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little animal is pretty well known on account of the high etimation in which the kin is held. The fur of Ermine is an article of coniderable commerce in the more northern countries; its delicate whitenes and cloenes being urpaed by none.

The Ermine is about nine inches long, excluive of the tail, which is between five and ix inches more; the tale is black, and in the male part of the forehead is dark brown.

The animal called in England the Stoat is the ame as in more northerly climates is called the Ermine. It is a curious phenomenon in Nature, that furs of animals in general, in thoe countries which have a long and evere winter, at that eaon change their colour; thus, in Siberia the Fox, &c. are white, and among others the Stoat or Ermine alo undergoes the ame change; from a kin of brown and dark yellow, thinly covered, is produced that thick ett, pure white fur which is prized by all, and bought at a very high price by many nations. The proces or manner how Nature accomplihes this metamorphois, is not o eaily traced: we well know her maternal care does accomplih it, as a means of protecting the life of her offspring by a amenes of colour with the now, which for months covers the ground where this little animal is placed to endure the rigours of evere frot; and, although their ecape is thus facilitated, the wily arts of man ucceed in the detruction of thouands, by means of traps of various kinds baited with fleh. The hunters of Norway hoot them with blunt arrows.

In very evere eaons the Stoat in England (and very frequently in the further parts of Scotland) is known to change white; but their kins are of little value, the everity of our winters not being ufficient to effect o complete a change in the colour and ubtance of the fur, in which its greatet merit conits.

An Ermine brought to England quite white in the month of May, lot all its plendour in about thirty days (beginning at the head), which did never return; its food is rabbits, birds, mice, &c. is very quick of motion, and has a fœtid mell, as all of the Weael Tribe have.