1883-84-] Edinbui'gh Naturalists' Field Club. 135 



gentleman riding across a field, observed a great commotion among a 

 large flock of Hooks. They had risen from the grass, and were hover- 

 ing over one of their number wliich remained fluttering on the ground. 

 The flock filled the air with angry cries. Just as the gentleman rode 

 up, the Eook rose slowly from the ground with something attached to 

 it which the gentleman could not make out ; but when about thirty 

 yards from the ground, a Stoat, losing its hold of the Crow, fell almost 

 at the horse's feet, and immediately scam^Dered off, quite unliurt by 

 its fall. 



I have never seen Stoats hunt in packs, but it is certain both 

 Weasels and Stoats do so. A person once told me he had seen as 

 many as fifteen running on scent, like a pack of hounds. My cousin, 

 Mr Skirving of Croys, Kirkcudbrightshire, once saw seven or eight 

 thus occupied. They were evidently on the trail of a Hare or a 

 Rabbit, and were keeping well together, uttering a shrill little cry 

 while they ran. He threw a stone at them, and killed one of the 

 pack. 



It has frequently been matter of discussion what the nature of 

 the seeming paralysis may be which Hares and Eabbits often take 

 when pursued by a Stoat. In the open a Hare could, with the utmost 

 ease, run quite away from a Stoat or any of the Weasel tribe. Puss 

 would not be in the slightest danger if she only would trust to her 

 heels, but she seems to lose her head altogether. She hops about, 

 rather than runs, in a stupid, helpless sort of manner, till she allows 

 her tiny foe to leap on her back. A very pleasant book on country 

 subjects has recently been published, called ' Nether Lochaber,' by the 

 clergyman of that Highland parish. The frontispiece represents a 

 Weasel on the back of a Hare, sucking it to death. On looking at 

 the text, I see that, though a shepherd carried the Hare to his minister, 

 he did not produce the Weasel ; and I strongly suspect it was our 

 stouter friend, the Stoat, which did the deed. 



Having now given several instances of the boldness of the Stoat, 

 I shall conclude with an anecdote which shows that courageous animal 

 in a totally different light. It proves that a poor timid Eabbit, which 

 is helpless when its own safety is alone concerned, may become a 

 heroine when the lives of its little ones are in question. One day 

 last summer we were driving along a road with the sea on one side 

 and a rabbit-warren on the other. On the road in front of us we 

 saw some creature conducting itself in a most extraordinary manner. 

 It was rushing backwards and forwards in a strange eccentric sort of 

 way. Soon we saw that it was a Eabbit, and, from its fur, evidently a 

 mother, engaged in mortal combat with a Stoat. Eut we were vastly 

 surprised when we saw that the Stoat was the pursued, and not the 

 pursuer. The Stoat fled, the Eabbit madly chased. Its mode of 

 fight was to butt at the Stoat like a sheep. Sometimes it hit it, and 

 then the Stoat was sent flying. Oftener the lithe Stoat eluded the 



VOL. I, K 



