NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 129 



Europe, cand tlie conclusion come to is that our climate is approxi- 

 mating more and more to that of the steppes of Eussia— the seat 

 of the rinderpest. 



II. — Notes on the Habits of the Ermine or Stoat (Mustela erminea). 



By Mr Eobert Gray. 



He narrated occurrences, within his own observation, showing 

 the extraordinary daring and rapacity of the species and its allies. 

 His remarks were illustrated l^y a wild duck with one of these 

 animals clinging to it in the position in which both were observed 

 Avhen shot by Mr Colin Ferguson, Kirriemuir, from whom he 

 obtained the specimens. The duck was observed flying at a 

 considerable height, but making erratic deviations from its course, 

 which attracted the keeper's attention, and, on waiting until it 

 came within reach, he found that the bird had been pounced upon 

 by a stoat while on the ground, and had taken flight with the 

 little savage holding on with its fore legs partly entwined round 

 the neck, and its teeth fastened to the back of the head. Mr 

 Ferguson had communicated to Mr Gray a somewhat similar 

 instance which came under his notice a few years ago— the 

 assailant in this case being a weasel, and the victim a heron. The 

 weasel was observed, during the bird's flight, to be hanging by its 

 jaws to the heron's neck, and, on after examination, it was found 

 that a large hole had been torn in tlie neck, leaving the bone 

 exposed. Several other well authenticated examples were given 

 of the sanguinary habits of the weasels, and the writer of the 

 paper concluded with some remarks on the distribution of the 

 various species in Scotland, and the changes which take place in 

 the colour of their fur in connection with their haunts, and 

 occasionally under climatic influences. 



March 27th, 1866, 

 John Scouler, M.D., LL.D., F.L.S., President, in the chair. 

 The following gentlemen were elected members of the society : — 

 Messrs James Miller and William 0. Crawford, resident; Mr 

 Robert M'Dowall, surgeon, Panama Steam NaAdgation Company, 

 Tobago, Panama, corresponding. 



A proposal of amalgamation, from the members of the Glasgow 

 Naturalists' Society, was submitted to the meeting, and accepted. 



r 



