214 Practical Game Preserving. 



increase to such an extent that they would soon clear off 

 all the game. 



One common characteristic of them all is a large amount of 

 cunning, and, at the same time, great fear of man being near 

 their habitations or about their neighbourhood. This strongly 

 prevails in all the weasel tribe, and, despite their pluckiness 

 when captured and " cheek " when one comes upon them 

 unawares, their temerity at the scent left by man is very 

 surprising.. To be able to cope with them successfully, an 

 exact knowledge of their haunts and habits will be 

 necessary, and although, taken generally, there are points of 

 resemblance between the several kinds, still, in detail they 

 differ considerably. Before passing, therefore, to consider 

 the best means to be taken for their capture or destruction, 

 we will take some notice of the natural history of each. 

 First, we will take the weasels, namely, the polecat, stoat, 

 weasel, and marten ; then the otter, badger, and also one or 

 two more animals, which, while showing a destructive habit 

 as far as game preserving is concerned, are not, in the 

 strictest sense of the word, vermin. 



The polecat, the largest of these members of the weasel 

 tribe, is, without doubt, one of the heaviest scourges of 

 poultry, game, and rabbits, and, considering its size (about 

 i Sin. in length), it is the most rapacious of all vermin. Not 

 only will it kill the animals which are its ordinary prey, but 

 will sometimes attack and destroy geese and turkeys. Stoats 

 mostly confine their attention to game and rabbits, but the 

 polecat has certainly a predilection for poultry, probably 

 because its chief pleasure is found in wholesale destruction 

 and killing, for a polecat will often in one single night kill 



