WEASELS. 61 



other, that it will be well to point out the constant 

 difference in each. The stoat is brown above, dirty 

 white underneath; his tail is longer and more bushy 

 than that of the weasel, and always black at the tip. 

 The weasel is red above, and pure white underneath, 

 and the tail is red and uniform, being deprived of the 

 bushy tip. Mr. Bell, from whose pages I have taken 

 these characters, defends weasels from the accusation 

 of devouring poultry, game, hares, rabbits, and various 

 small birds. He says, that when driven by hunger, they 

 may occasionally eat such things ; but that their general 

 food consists of mice and rats of every description, the 

 field and water vole, and moles ; and that they ought 

 rather to be encouraged than exterminated, because they 

 destroy so much vermin. They generally approach with 

 the utmost caution and shyness, and when once they have 

 seized their prey, they never let go their hold ; they aim 

 at the neck, below the ear, or drive their teeth through 

 the back of the head. They bound and spring, and climb 

 trees with the greatest facility, and seem never to tire of 

 hunting, whether they are hungry or not. Mr. St. John 

 saw one in a stubble field, in which several corn buntings 

 were flying about, or alighting on a thistle. The animal 

 disappeared at the foot of this thistle, and the above 

 gentleman thought he had slunk into a hole; but feeling 

 sure by his manner he intended some mischief, he stayed 

 to watch his movements. As soon as one of the birds 

 settled on the thistle, something sprang up as quick as 

 lightning, and then disappeared with the bird : it was 

 the weasel, who had thus successfully concealed himself. 

 The same gentleman chased a weasel into a hollow tree, 

 who carried something in her mouth. He applied smoke 

 to the hole, and out she came again, carrying the same 



