176 THE COMMON WEESEL. 



just killed. The little animal was watched to a 

 burrow, the repository of its plunder; and the 

 mouth was carefully stopped up, till a spade could 

 be brought to dig it out. On turning up the 

 earth, there were found lodged, at the bottom of 

 the hole, no fewer than fourteen couple of small 

 Rabbets, all of which had evidently been conveyed 

 thither by this voracious and destructive invader 

 The reason given for such an enormous accumu- 

 lation of provisions was, that, although the Weesel 

 usually satiates itself with some part of the blood of 

 the animals it kills, it never devours the remainder 

 of its prey till it is in a state of putrefaction. 



The Weesel is likewise an inveterate enemy to 

 all the animals of the murine tribe, entering their 

 holes, and sometimes devouring the whole of their 

 bodies except the teeth. Mr. Kerr mentions an 

 instance of eighty field Mice having been found in 

 one Weesel's nest*. Whilst the Weesel thus acts 

 the Tiger towards all the smaller quadrupeds which 

 come within its reach, it is itself well defended, by 

 its extreme agility of body, and quickness both 

 of sight and hearing, from the attacks of various 

 larger predatory animals, which otherwise would 

 destroy it. Whenever it is ranging abroad, it 

 is observed to be very watchful, constantly look- 

 ing round on all sides with great caution, to see 



* Kerr's Animal Kingdom, p. 182. 



that 



