570 THE TAYRA. 
The rat now took up the pursuit, and chased the Stoat with such furious energy that she 
drove her enemy far from the place. It is probable that the rat had a young family at 
hand, and was urged to this curious display of courage by the force of her maternal 
feelings. 
On account of its agile limbs, sharp teeth, and ferocious disposition, even a sinele 
Stoat would be an unchancy opponent for an unarmed man. But if several Stoats 
should unite to attack a single man, he would find himself in bad case, armed or not. 
Such a circumstance has been lately communicated to me, my informant having heard it 
from the lips of the principal actor in the scene. : 
A gentleman was walking alone a road near Cricklade, when he saw two Stoats sitting 
in the path. He idly picked up a stone, and flung it at the animals, one of which was 
struck, and was knocked over by the foree of the blow. The other Stoat immediately 
uttered a loud and peculiar ery, which was answered by a number of its companions, who 
issued from a neighbouring hedge, and sprang upon their assailant, running up his body 
with surprising rapidity, and striving to reach his neck. As soon as he saw the Stoats 
coming to the attack, he picked upa handful of stones, thinking that he should be able to 
repel his little enemies, but they came boldly on, in spite of the stones and of his stick. 
Most providentially a sharp wind h 1appened to be blowing on that day, and he had wound 
a thick woollen comforter round his neck, so that he was partially protec ted. 
Finding that he had no chance of beating off the pertinacious animals, he flung his 
stick down, fixed his hat firmly over his temples, and pressing his hands to his neck, so 
as to guard that perilous spot as much as possible from the sharp teeth of the Stoats, set 
off homewards as fast as he could run. By deerees, several of the animals dropped off, 
but others clung so determinately to their oppo ment, that when he arrived at his stables, 
no less than five Stoats were killed by his servants as they hung on his person. His 
hands, face, and part of his neck were covered with wounds ; but owing to the presence of 
mind with which he had defended his neck, the large loads vessels had escaped without 
injury. The distance from the spot where he had been attacked to his own house was 
nearly four miles. 
He always declared that when he struck the Stoat with the stone, its companion called 
out “ Murder !” 
The Stoat is, like the weasel, possessed ofa powerful and exceedingly unpleasant odour ; 
yet even this disagreeable accompaniment does not always suffice to preserve it from being 
killed and eaten by predaceous animals more powerful than itself. Even so fastidious an 
animal as the domestic cat has been known to capture a Stoat, to eat part of it herself, 
and to distribute the remainder to her kittens, who partook of the powerfully scented 
food without manifesting any reluctance. 
Although so wild an animal, it has been tamed with as great success as the weasel and 
the ferret, displayi ing the same gentle and active pli tyfulness as has been already mentioned 
as belonging to the weasel when in a state of domestication. The animal was suffered to 
roain at will about the house, and never gave any intimation that it wished to make its 
escape. It was an amusingly playful little creature, del ighting to leap upon the members 
of the family, and run up their backs. But its greatest pleasure seemed to be in attacking 
a couple of old stuffed magpies that stood upon a shelf. It used to jump upon them, 
twist its serpentine body round their necks, drag out their feathers between its teeth, and 
would not unfrequently, in the exuberance of its spirits, knock the bird off the shelf, when 
magpie and Stoat would come to the ground together. 
THE lively little animal which is known by the name of the TayrA is an inhabitant 
of tropical America, where it is found in moderate numbers, though not in very great 
profusion. 
The colour of the Tayra is a uniform black, slightly tinged with brown, with the 
exception of a large white patch which covers the throat and upper portion of the chest. 
It is said to take up its residence in burrows, which it scoops for itself in the ground. In 
captivity it is extremely lively amd amusing, performing every movement in a sharp, 
quick manner, and accompanying its actions with an odd little chuckle, something like 
