504^ Short Commu7iications : — 



opened their eyes, and are daily improving in size and appear- 

 ance." 



T/ie Stoat {Mustela erminea). — It seems to have been 

 commonly imagined that change of colour from the usual 

 tint to white is the invariable effect of cold. [V. 718.; VI. 79.] 

 Yet this change occurs in the mild climate of Cornwall as 

 often as in other parts of England ; and not always in winter. 

 Mr. C. Jackson of East Looe had, at one time, in his pos- 

 session, three specimens that were all over white, except on 

 the back of the neck and shoulder, which was brown, and the 

 black tip of the tail. They were proved not to be young by 

 the canine teeth being worn down. — J. Couch. PolperrOy 

 Cornwall, May 29. 1834. [On the stoat, see, besides, 

 VI. 202., and the references given in VI. 208.] 



The Weasel sucks the Blood of its Prey, — Rusticus of Go- 

 dalming (VI. 197.) denies this, and says that " the weasel 

 only eats the brain." This is a bold assertion, at variance 

 with the opinions of most, if not all, modern (and, as far as 

 I am aware, ancient) naturalists (but no matter for that; 

 they are all mere copyists, at least since the flood, according 

 to Rusticus ; Linnaeus, Jussieu, Cuvier, &c., are only copyists, 

 in other words, plagiarists) : and, before it can be received as 

 a fact applicable to the species generally, it must be ascer- 

 tained by proofs much more evident and convincing than the 

 single one brought forward by Rusticus. Presumption and 

 invective have little weight nowadays. That the weasel will 

 eat the brain of its prey, I have no doubt; and it will devour 

 the blood, flesh, and all (except the bones), when hungry. 

 When satiated, or little hungry, it will generally only suck 

 the blood ; but should it, during the conflict with the subject 

 of its attack, injure the skull so as to cause an extrusion of 

 medullary matter, it will frequently devour this as well as the 

 blood. But the weasel, like the polecat, and the other Po- 

 marii of Cuvier, is decidedly sanguinary in its habits, and 

 prefers blood to everything else. It generally destroys its 

 victim by attacking it in its head or neck ; most frequently in 

 the latter part, when its prey is much inferior to it in strength, 

 and can, consequently, make little resistance ; the animal being 

 probably instinctively inclined to attach itself to this part, 

 owing to a large artery (the carotid) being situated there. 

 I have seen the weasel kill four young ducks in just half an 

 hour : it attacked them in the throat, sucked their blood, and 

 afterwards left them. — J. Jones, Gelly, Montgomeryshire, 

 March 28. 1834. [To the list of the weasel's objects oT' prey, 

 the mole may now (see Mr. Couch, in p. 458.) be added.] 



White Hares, — I find the following remarks in my journal, 



