The polecat is found in some medieval encyclopedias. It is a weasel-like animal that has a strong, foul odor. It has short legs on the left side and longer legs on the right side. It is very fond of hens and their young, since it lives only on meat and the like. When it catches a chicken, it first removes its head, so that when this is gone it will not be able to cry out while the hen is being caught.