WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



drag them away one by one towards her own abode in a 

 cairn of loose stones ; and, a few days ago, I saw one bring 

 three young landrails in as many minutes out of a field of 

 high wheat. In fact, as long as she can find an animal to 

 kill, so long will a weasel hunt, whether in want of food or 

 not. I have frequently seen a weasel, small as he is, kill a 

 full-grown rabbit. The latter is sometimes so frightened at 

 the persevering ferocity of hislittle enemy, thatit lies down 

 and cries out before the weasel has come up. Occasionally 

 these animals join in a company of six or eight, and hunt 

 down rabbit or hare, giving tongue and tracking their un- 

 fortunate victim like a pack of beagles. 



There is no doubt that in some degrees they repay the 

 damage done to game,by thenumberof rats and mice which 

 they destroy (the latter being their favourite food). The 

 weasel will take up its abode in a stack-yard, living on the 

 mice and small birds that it catches for some time, and the 

 farmer looks on it as a useful ally; till, some night, the mice 

 beein to grrow scarce, and then the chickens suffer. Eggfs, 

 fresh and rotten, are favourite dainties with the weasel. 



I once witnessed a very curious feat of this active little 

 animal. I saw a weasel hunting and prying about a stubble 

 field in which were several corn-buntings flyingabout, and 

 every now and then alighting to sing on the straggling 

 thistle that rose above the stubble. Presently the little fel- 

 low disappeared at the foot of a thistle, and I imagined he 

 had gone into a hole. I waited, however, to see what would 

 happen, as, from the way he had been hunting about, he 

 evidently had some mischief in his head. Soon a corn-bunt- 

 ing alighted on the very thistle near which the weasel had 



164 



