426 Natttral History Notes. [Sess. 



the rule. The first rush finds us dripping wet from head to 

 foot, and the result is nil, unless we can call the possession of 

 a tail-feather anything. Our blood is now up, however, and 

 for the next five minutes it is hot work. Twenty times 

 we thought we had that duck, and as often we were dis- 

 appointed, until, thoroughly worn out, we ceased operations 

 for a while. Imagine our feelings, then, when the bird, 

 finding itself unmolested, and its purpose now served, takes to 

 itself wings and flies away — not, however, before disclosing 

 its true character in its parting " quack, quack," in which 

 description we cordially agree. 



It is a curious fact that when one finds himself in a ridicu- 

 lous position at any time, he may rely on the j)resence of a 

 spectator. Such was the case here ; and the " orra loon," 

 whose present duty appears to be the herding of some cattle 

 as rough-looking as himself, proceeds, before we can recover 

 our breath, to read us a lecture on natural history, with special 

 reference to the habits of the wild-duck when a stranger ap- 

 proaches too near its nest. The wound is still too fresh to 

 bear touching, however ; so we adroitly turn our friend's at- 

 tention to the fact that the adjacent heap of stones is occupied 

 by a weasel or weasels, who appear and reappear with start- 

 ling suddenness. This immediately leads to a discussion on 

 " whuttrets," and we learn that in the previous autumn, when 

 harvest operations were in full swing and all hands at work, 

 he and some of the others employed were alarmed by the loud 

 cries of a child of one of the women engaged in harvesting 

 operations, which had been placed by his mother on a shawl, 

 and laid on the bank at the side of the field. A rush was made 

 for the child, who continued to cry loudly, all the time hold- 

 ing his hands in a frightened manner before his face. The 

 cause of the child's fright was soon apparent ; for on the boy's 

 bare knee, and looking as though it might at any time spring 

 at his throat, sat a weasel, and so angry was the animal at 

 being disturbed, that it appeared as though it meant to dis- 

 pute the right of the new-comers to interfere. A short chase 

 at last ended in the death of the weasel ; and the curious 

 sequel was, that when presented to the child, the boy took the 

 dead animal in his hand without hesitation, never apparently 

 realising that it was the same beast which had so terrified him 



