CHAP. vri. IMPERTINENCE OF WEASELS. Ill 



they see no other way of escape. This is especially 

 the case with the females when they have their young 

 about them. Edward once saw a weasel, after hiding 

 her family amongst a cairn of stones, ascend to the 

 top, and muttering something all the while, by her 

 threatening attitude and fierce showing of her teeth, 

 dared any one to approach her under penalty of imme- 

 diate attack. 



A bite of a weasel, or polecat, or badger, or otter, 

 is anything but agreeable. The bites of the weasel 

 and the polecat are the worst. There seems to be 

 some poison in their bites, for the part bitten soon 

 becomes inflamed, and the bite is long in heal- 

 ing. The whole of this group of animals are of the 

 same bold, fearless, and impetuous disposition. They 

 are also remarkably impertinent and aggressive, not 

 hesitating to attack man himself, especially when 

 they see him showing the slightest symptoms of cow- 

 ardice. Take the following illustrations, communi- 

 cated by Edward himself : 



" Returning one morning from an excursion in the 

 Buchan district, when between Fraserburgh and 

 Pennan, I felt so completely exhausted by fatigue, 

 want of sleep, and want of food (for my haversack had 

 become exhausted), that I went into a field near the 

 road, lay down by a dyke-side, and fell fast asleep. I 

 had not slept long, however, when I was awakened by 

 something cold pressing in betwixt my forehead and 

 the edge of my hat. There were some small birds in my 



