Short-tailed Weasel 853 



about every fifteen minutes till 4 were stored within; the next 

 day the same thing went on until 4 more were carried in 

 before his eyes, and doubtless others he had not seen, so he set 

 to work to dig out and examine this larder, but the farther he 

 went the more branches the tunnel had, and after many hours' 

 digging he gave it up. 



Kennicott credits'* the kindred species (noveboracensis) 

 with collecting in a particular spot the Rats and Mice it has 

 slaughtered, until a hundred or more of the victims are in the 

 pile. 



As the Weasel usually craves hot, fresh blood, and a 

 living prey, I am puzzled to understand its occasional wabblings 

 toward the frugal habits and virtuous ways of much better 

 citizens. 



Much as we may hate it for its sanguinary disposition, we gour- 

 are bound to respect the Weasel for its courage. It will ordi- 

 narily face any animal up to twenty or thirty times its size; a 

 mother Weasel will face and fight an elephant; she will fly from 

 nothing that may threaten her young. 



That this animal will sometimes attack man is shown in 

 a case related by Burroughs:'^ The Weasel turned savagely on 

 a man that had interfered with its feasting on a newly killed 

 Rat. It dodged his blows of stick and stone in a way "sin- 

 gularly uncanny and startling. It was like some infuriated 

 imp of Satan, dancing before him and watching the chance to 

 seize him by the throat or to dash into his eyes." 



Whatever a Weasel does, is done quickly — whether it be to speed 

 seize the bounding Squirrel, clinch on the rash terrier's nose, 

 elude the rifle ball at the flash, or save its young — it is known 

 to act like lightning and with nearly uniform success. 



Measured by miles per hour, I doubt not its speed on the 

 ground would be low, but in dodging it is quick to bafflement 

 of the eye and the gun. In the trees it is perfectly at home, 



" Quad. 111., 1858, p. 106. 



" Squirrels and Other Fur-bearers, 1900, p. 84. 



