310 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



dozen or more head of game being sometimes killed 

 in a single visit. 



THE STOAT, Mustela enninea, is the true ermine- 

 weasel. In certain northern districts it is called club- 

 tail, from the ever-present and conspicuous black tuft 

 at the end of its tail. In severe winters the stoat 

 assumes a coat in harmony with its environment, 

 more or less white being displayed according to the 

 severity of the climate. Sometimes the animal pre- 

 sents a piebald appearance of brown and white, par- 

 ticularly in the southern parts of Britain, farther north 

 it turns wholly white, save for the black tail-tip which, 

 as remarked, is always present. 



Although shy and retiring to a degree, the stoat's 

 bump of inquisitiveness is, nevertheless, fully developed, 

 and for the benefit of those who may be unaware of 

 this fact, I will venture to offer a hint as to the following 

 dodge which I have frequently found most effectual in 

 encompassing the destruction of these alert animals. 

 Now and again whilst the sportsman is quietly engaged 

 in picking off a few young rabbits as they come out to 

 feed on a summer's evening ; or, it may be, when posted 

 behind a fence waiting for driven partridges to come 

 over ; or, again, whilst similarly positioned by the 

 covert-side in pheasant-shooting, he may be suddenly 

 startled by the appearance of a stoat. On seeing him 

 the affrighted little beast bounces back into the thick 

 undergrowth too quickly probably to allow of an 

 extremely hasty shot being taken, and with this 

 sudden disappearance those unaware of the stoat's in- 

 quisitiveness may possibly imagine the incident to be 

 closed so far as they are concerned. Not so the old 

 hand, for he quietly places gun to shoulder, and covers 



