64 OBSERVATIONS ON QUADRUPEDS. 



mals of its size." As an instance of this, I may 

 mention that I was one day sitting in my room on 

 the ground-floor in summer with the door open, when 

 I was surprised to see a stoat enter, and run rather 

 rapidly about the room, snuffing about as if in search 

 of prey. It showed not the least symptoms of alarm 

 at finding itself in unusual quarters, and after a 

 minute or so quietly went out again.* 



Stoats and weasels, as is well known, run up trees 

 with great facility in pursuit of birds. To-day (Sept. 3, 

 1827), we saw a stoat in the top branches of a tall 

 yew-tree ; but, in this instance, it appeared to be 

 attracted by the berries, which it was eagerly devour- 

 ing. 



The circumstance of the foumart's occasionally 

 preying upon eels is well known to the readers of 

 Bewick's Quadrupeds, where there is an instance 

 given of this fact.-f- Mr. Selby has observed the same 

 predilection for this kind of food in the case of its 



* An instance of boldness is recorded in The Zoologist, (p. 36,) 

 of the weasel, which, from its similarity to the one above men- 

 tioned in the case of the stoat, I am induced to transcribe here. 



" One day in June, 1842, as a lady was sitting in a room at 

 Ilford, the windows of which opened to the ground, she was very 

 much surprised by the appearance of a weasel (Mustela vulgar is), 

 which, after trying round the window for an entrance, stood up on 

 its hind-legs against one of the panes of glass, and remained there, 

 notwithstanding the furious barking of a little terrier that was in 

 the room, until the window was opened, when he started off very 

 leisurely, but was overtaken and killed by the dog." 



t Eighth edit. p. 253. 



