•202 Tra nsacdoiis. — Zoology. 



history of Britain can we trace both the rabbit and the weasel 

 Was either beast introduced by man to that same island, or 

 may we suppose both rabbit and weasel lived side by side in 

 i3ritain when men were few and far between, and dressed 

 themselves in skins, or coloured their naked bodies with woad 

 — at which time the most of Britain would be covered with 

 dense forests and swamps ? Under such conditions, could 

 man be a valuable agent to check the undue increase of either 

 animal race? The rabbit, as an article of food, would be 

 taken by man. But for what reason should primitive man 

 check the undue increase of the weasel? If the weasel was 

 left unchecked to increase at will, why did it not exterminate 

 the rabbit, then the game-birds, then the sheep, then cattle 

 and horses, till at last man had finally to succumb before 

 this energetic little blood-sucker? Seeing that rabbits were 

 hunted by man, how was it the rabbit did not speedily become 

 extinct, having man, dog, wolf, fox, weasel, and others con- 

 stantly killing it? What is there remarkable about New 

 Zealand, as compared with the Britain of the past, which 

 gives the idea that weasels W'Ould in this country be en- 

 dowed with extra vitality? Does not man aid in keeping 

 "the balance of power" among the animal kingdom? 

 Where rabbits are scarce may he not destroy weasels and 

 })rotect the rabbit, and vice versa, and so play one against 

 the other ? 



I come from a district famed in English history, the old 

 forest of Sherwood, and have stood under the shadow of 

 Eobin Hood's oak, an aged giant among trees, under which 

 Robin and his men in green, the bold foresters of " Merrie 

 Sherwood," held their tryst. Now, why did not the law 

 speedily check these freebooters, who slew, with bow and 

 arrow, the king's deer, and feasted thereon, not forgetting the 

 tax they levied on the purse of the wealthy traveller? They 

 were able to hide successfully in the trackless forest and 

 escape the king's soldiers. There w^ere formerly many local 

 ballads recounting the various exploits and encounters of 

 Robin Hood and his merry men, which were very popular. 

 Most of these would seem to be now lost. Sir Walter Scott 

 introduces some of these erstwhile heroes in " Ivanhoe :" 

 Robin Hood, under the disguise of Locksley, the archer, as 

 also the "sturdy clerk of Copmanhurst," otherwise known as 

 Friar Tuck, who has a bout at fisticuffs with King Richard 

 himself. For even some in holy orders were fain to join in 

 this free and jovial life. "The Miller of the Dee" was 

 another celebrated character; also " Maid Marian," Robin's 

 wife, and "Little John," his lieutenant, who, notwithstand- 

 ing his nickname, was considerably over 6ft. in height. 

 Robin is sometimes thought to have been the exiled Earl of 



