232 Practical Game Preserving. 



a hedge before commencing its work in real earnest, pro- 

 bably owing to the fact of its having just left the dwelling 

 in which it sleeps with considerable zeal, spending a 

 fair half of its time, or more even, in renovating its 

 energies. Unlike the larger vermin, however, the stoat 

 mostly, but not entirely, hunts by day, and when so doing 

 generally commences its operations at or before sunrise, 

 a time when the various animals, birds, &c., upon which 

 it preys, having only just come out to feed, are generally 

 not so wide awake as might be necessary to their safety. 

 As the day begins to follow on the morning the stoat 

 retires to collect and look over its spoils, or rather, we 

 should say, their spoils, for rarely does one act singly 

 in the above-described routine. 



Compared to the weasel, the stoat is in England generally 

 less frequently met with, but in higher parts, that is, 

 in the greater portion of Scotland, it is undoubtedly of 

 much more frequent occurrence than the smaller animal. 

 Its agility is considerable, and in spite of the peculiar 

 length and litheness of its body, it can run at a really 

 astonishing pace, at the same time employing very elegant 

 motions, and showing always a very animated appearance, 

 leaping and bounding along in an easy and free -going 

 gallop. As to whether it hunts by scent or sight, " opinions 

 differ," and doubtless the stoat's opinions differ too, and 

 being an instinctively intelligent little animal, it adopts 

 the manner most suitable to the occasion. 



Besides the very general name of stoat, there are a 

 multitude of names employed in various districts to 

 denominate this mustela, amongst which are " ermine," 



