238 SKELETONS OF WEASELS RATS. [PART II. 



The skeletons of two Weasels, picked perfectly 

 clean, were found in a wheat-rick on a farm in our 

 neighbourhood, whose death the men employed in 

 taking it in attributed to rats, of which there were 

 also many in the rick. I doubt, however, whether 

 rats ever commit such an act of retributive justice, 

 and should rather imagine that they met their 

 deaths from indulging in a course of poisoned 

 mouse, of which a plentiful supply was at hand. 

 Their bones may have been afterwards picked by 

 the rats, who, being no way particular, may have 

 dined upon them by way of a change of diet. 



Another adjoining homestead was about the 

 same time infested by Rats, which seemed to have 

 arrived suddenly, the place having been, until a 

 short time before, almost free from them. Up- 

 wards of twenty dozen were caught there in the 

 course of a few weeks. Whilst this work of ex- 

 termination was going on, as the rat-catcher was 

 one day ferreting them in the barn, the bailiff, 

 who was standing outside, called his attention to 

 a part of the thatch where he heard some of them 

 squeaking. He passed his hand along it, under 

 the impression that there was a nest there, and 

 came presently to a part which was quite warm. 

 Having discovered, or made, a hole communicating 



