FISHING AND PHILOSOPHY 137 



when they rolled into view neither seemed to have 

 a proper hold. However, when they disengaged, 

 the rat raised himself on his hind legs and awaited 

 the attack of the weasel. They then fought for 

 about two minutes, after which the weasel made for 

 the long grass, with the rat after him, so I was 

 unable to see the end of a most interesting contest. 

 I was, however, subsequently assured by a keeper 

 that such fio'hts between rats and weasels generally 

 ended in favour of the former. 



A curious incident with regard to a terrier and 

 fox cubs was once described to me by Captain 

 George Maher of Ballinkeen, County Wexford. 

 Captain Maher was walking by the side of a river 

 closely accompanied by a terrier. It was his 

 custom to go to a certain place to watch four fox 

 cubs, who had their earth on the opposite side of 

 the river, playing with each other. To his astonish- 

 ment he saw the terrier, who had crossed over, join 

 in play with the cubs, and he assures me that, hav- 

 ing broken the ice, so to speak, with the cubs, the 

 dog paid regular visits to the earth. This terrier 

 was famous for being a first-class worker when put 

 to orround for foxes and badgers. 



A friend of mine, Mr Montague Murphy, of 

 Derby, related an interesting incident in connection 

 with the brown rat. I give his incident in his own 

 words : 



