THE STOAT, OR ERMINE. 185 



The usual haunts of the Stoat are woods, hedges, 

 and meadows; and especially about brooks, the 

 banks of which are covered with bushes. Some- 

 times, but less frequently than the Weesel, it 

 inhabits barns, granaries, and other outbuildings. 

 It is a bold and ferocious animal ; and, when 

 pressed by hunger, will often attack creatures that 

 are of much larger size than itself. Such is its 

 agility, that it is able fairly to run down either 

 a Hare or a Rabbet ; and, in its pursuit of prey, it 

 evidently hunts by scent. I am informed by a 

 gentleman of my acquaintance, that he was one 

 day standing with his gun in the narrow path of a 

 wood, when a Rabbet, in great apparent agitation, 

 ran swiftly across. A few moments afterwards a 

 Stoat followed, precisely in the same track. They 

 crossed the path again once or twice, the Stoat 

 behind, and all the way hunting with its nose close 

 to the ground like a Spaniel. At length the Rabbet 

 was wearied out, and sat down in the path. Tfre 

 Stoat was no sooner within sight of its prey, now at 

 rest, than it made a surprising leap of more than 

 two yards, and fixed itself firmly on the Rabbet's 

 back. This gentleman immediately fired, and killed 

 both the animals at the same shot. A nearly similar 

 circumstance afterwards occurred in the presence 

 of the same person. 



The Rev. Revett Sheppard informs me, that he 

 has often seen Stoats in the act of hunting Rabbets. 

 He says, that when they get into a warren, they will 



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