140 



SOME COMMON MAMMALS. 



The slender body enables the Weasel to follow its prey 

 into holes and crevices, through corn ricks as well as 

 hedges. Its keen scent guides it even when its prey is out 

 of sight. It kills more than it eats, biting its prey through 

 the skull. 



Sometimes the Stoat or Weasel is itself attacked, becom- 

 ing the prey of hawks. But the remarkable agility and 

 fierceness of these creatures renders them dangerous to 

 meddle with. For if by any means they can reach their 

 captors with their teeth they may bring them ignominiously 

 to earth. Such an occurrence has been witnessed in which 



Fig 47. The Weasel. 



Stoat or Weasel has brought down a bird of prey bleedin^ 

 fatally. 



In the study of the life of these creatures we witness in 

 its most literal aspect the " struggle for existence." Here 

 at all events we see " Nature . . . one with rapine." 



The teacher should take every available opportunity of 

 studying examples of various other common mammals of 

 our country and preparing lesson notes upon these. He 

 should aim at securing a certain amount of first-hand 



