THE WEASEL. 299 



of the plunderer : indeed, I cannot say that I ever 

 saw a weasel in the act of stealing eggs. 



One morning, in September last, the gardener 

 heard a rustling amongst some cabbages in an 

 orchard ; and on arriving cautiously at the place, 

 he saw a weasel ; and he managed to get his foot 

 upon it, and to kill it, whilst it was in close con- 

 tact with a favourite sheldrake. He brought 

 them both to me. Upon examining the bird, I 

 found that the weasel had fixed its teeth into its 

 cheek ; but the wound did not prove mortal, for 

 the sheldrake is now in perfect health and vigour. 



Notwithstanding these predatory acts on the part 

 of the weasel, I would recommend the lord of the 

 manor to pause awhile ere he condemn this bold 

 little quadruped to extermination. I have yet 

 something to say in its favour ; but, before I under- 

 take its defence, I must in fairness allow that cer- 

 tain parts of the farmer's property, at times, are 

 not exempt from the rapacious attacks of the 

 weasel. 



Poultry the farmer's pride, and his wife's de- 

 light is undoubtedly exposed to have its numbers 

 thinned by this animal. Still, when we reflect that 

 fowls of all descriptions stray through fields 

 haunted by the weasel, with scarcely any decrease 

 of their numbers, we may safely draw the conclu- 

 sion that the weasel does not, at all times, make 

 an attempt upon fowls which are within its reach. 



Last spring, my rumpless fowl, mentioned in 

 these Essays, was killed by a weasel in broad day- 

 light ; and I may add an instance of a farmer's 



