240 Practical Game Preserving. 



in the first edition of u Knight's Cyclopaedia," and we 

 reproduce it, as it describes the way weasels alone of all 

 the vermin have of sitting bolt upright to take a view 

 around when in chase of such prey as shrews and mice. 

 No animal is more audacious than the weasel, and few more 

 foolhardy, and were its audacity to proceed from " pluck/' 

 one would, indeed, admire this characteristic of the 

 " varmint ;" but, unfortunately for those who champion 

 its cause, this is not the case, and what would be courage 

 dwindles down to impudence, caused by a want of that 

 greater amount of instinct as regards safety that the stoat 

 and polecat possess. 



Another case of "opinions differ" exists with regard 

 to how the weasel kills it quarry, some saying that it employs 

 the more skilful manner of the polecat, and bites into 

 the brain. They do not bite into the brain as a rule ; 

 on the contrary, such a mode of killing is most exceptional 

 in the case of the weasel we had almost written unknown. 

 The stoat and the weasel both employ the slower means 

 of killing by sucking the blood. The latter always fixes 

 itself to its prey just at the back of the jaws and rather 

 under than on the top of the neck, and then throws the 

 hinder part of its lithe and supple body on the back, 

 whether of bird or quadruped, while with its strong forelegs 

 it endeavours to embrace it round the neck. Similar in 

 nature to the polecat and stoat, the weasel has a habit of 

 killing many more animals than it can possibly consume, 

 evidently for the reason that it delights in slaughter, and 

 it endeavours to overcome and destroy every living thing 

 which may be included in the long category of birds and 



