192 THE LIFE OF THE FIELDS. 



have ceased out of the daily life, as it were, of woods 

 and fields. Horned owls are becoming rare ; even the 

 barn-owl has all but disappeared from some districts, 

 and the wood-owl is local. The raven is extinct — 

 quite put out. The birds are said to exist near the 

 sea-coast; but it is certain that any one may walk 

 over inland country for years without seeing one. 

 These, being all more or less birds of prey, could not 

 but be excluded from pheasant-covers. All these birds, 

 however, would probably resume their ancient habi- 

 tations in the course of five-and-twenty years if per- 

 mitted to do so. They exist plentifully at no great 

 distance — ^judged as such strong flyers judge distance ; 

 and if they found that they were unmolested they 

 would soon come back from the extremities of the land. 

 But even more remarkable than the list of birds 

 driven away is the list of those creatures, birds and 

 animals, which have stood their ground in spite of 

 traps, guns, and dogs. Stoats and weasels are always 

 shot when seen, they are frequently trapped, and in 

 every manner hunted to the death and their litters 

 destroyed — the last the most effectual method of exter- 

 mination. But in spite of the unceasing enmity 

 directed against them, stoat and weasel remain com- 

 mon. They still take their share of game, both winged 

 and ground. Stoat and weasel will not be killed out. 

 As they are both defenceless creatures, and not even 

 swift of foot, being easily overtaken in the open, their 

 persistent continuance is curious. If any reason can 

 be assigned for it, it must be because they spend much 

 of their time in buries, where they are comparatively 

 safe, and because they do not confine themselves to 



