of the British Mustela. 205 



now shone bright upon the snowy hills. Our elevation was 

 considerable, yet the most common sounds, such was the 

 stillness of the air, were audible from the farm-steading in 

 the narrow valley far below ; we heard the regular thump of 

 the barnman's flail, the crowing of the cock, the cry of the 

 disturbed geese, and the sound of human voices. Up the 

 larger glen, to the westward, the mountains had a greyish 

 tinge from the peering heath on their brows, where here and 

 there were parcels of sheep spreading themselves to feed. 

 St. Mary's Lake was some miles to the southward, like a 

 dark mirror among that singular group of smooth and pure 

 white hills. Around us were countless thousands of 



Snow-flakes (Emberiza nivalis) flickering from stalk to 

 stalk as they fed upon the seeds of the wire-bent (Juncus 

 squarrosus). Sometimes as one of the dogs, through 

 curiosity or playfulness, ran amongst them, they would rise 

 all at once into the air, forming a flock of incredible extent, 

 wheeling around with great velocity, and a noise, from their 

 immense numbers, like loud and distant thunder. The 

 silvery white under side of their wings, as they turned sud- 

 denly under the blue sky to settle again after their leaders 

 upon the ground, threw forth a broad and glorious flash of 

 splendour. It reminded me of the rush and roar of a huge 

 wave upon a flat beach, as it breaks into foam ; or " the sable 

 cloud" that 



" Turns forth her silver lining on the night j" 



only it was day; and these beautiful birds being many of 

 them almost pure white, the immense flocks that they form 

 can hardly be well called even grey. We felt and enjoyed 

 the exhilarating scene, and were even somewhat sensible to 

 the splendid circumstances ; but our business was " of the 

 earth, earthly," and we turned to our pursuit. We followed 

 the track of the foumart for a mile farther; so that, after 

 catching his frog, he had gone in a direct line, at least two 

 miles to his den, which we found under a bank overhanging 

 a small brook on the other side of the hill, and, after digging 

 him out (I need hardly add, and worrying him), we presumed 

 to think that he might have lodged himself as well, and more 

 snugly, a few yards from where he had got his paddock ; but 

 it seemed he had thought otherwise, and doubtless had his 

 own reasons for his opinion. 



I have little doubt that the polecat (M. Putorius), like his 

 congener the stoat (M. erminea), by no means refuses a 

 field mouse any time it may come in his way, or a bird 

 either ; but I had once the good fortune to fall in with a full 



