Ground Vermin The Weasel. 241 



animals, with the death of which it continually endeavours 

 to appease its bloodthirsty appetite. Undoubtedly, owing 

 to the confusion of the stoat with the w r easel, the latter 

 gets credited with a good many of the misdeeds of the 

 former, and, perhaps, also many depredations committed 

 amongst eggs and nests by the weasel are laid to the 

 share of the stoat. 



It is a popular belief that weasels will attack and destroy 

 snakes, but as several experiments have been made of 

 confining the vermin with a snake, and in every instance 

 they have failed to take any step of the kind, we may 

 take it for granted that this is as much a fallacy as 

 imagining that this mustela is, contrary to the general 

 run of vermin, a most useful animal and worthy of our 

 constant protection. 



In much the same manner as stoats, weasels will form 

 themselves into diminutive packs and hunt in company, 

 but adopting a more systematic style of attack. When 

 bent on these expeditions they always march in single 

 file, and a particularly ludicrous aspect they present. Their 

 aim is generally an attack on some rather formidable 

 antagonist perhaps the ousting of a community of rats 

 from a burrow in which the vermin may desire to take up 

 their abode. 



Weasels have a favourite practice of running out from 

 their habitations and making a complete investigation of 

 anyone who may happen to pass. One weasel, we well 

 remember, that had selected a certain wall for its lair 

 close to the house in which we were then living, was in 

 the habit of rushing out to note the appearance of all carts 



