242 Practical Game Preserving. 



and carriages that passed along the adjacent road. Not 

 willing to molest it, we did not attempt its destruction ; 

 but one unlucky day it was too inquisitive, and felt the 

 weight of a cart wheel upon its back. 



Not only will the weasel commit the above named 

 indiscretions, but an occasion has come to our notice 

 when it made a rush at and inflicted a bite upon a dog 

 before the latter was able to turn upon its aggressor. 

 More especially will jt attack them when they accidentally 

 come sniffing about the nest, when the varmint becomes 

 literally wild with rage, and flies at the intruder in 

 a most determined manner, often, indeed, lessening any 

 chance of its escape by the foolhardy mode of its aggression. 



Many instances have occurred of weasels attacking human 

 kind, and in these aggressive operations they are always 

 numerous enough to cause some trouble to men to repel 

 the attacks without incurring injury, while women and 

 children have been known to suffer rather severely from 

 their fierceness. But in latter days weasels are less plentiful, 

 and have, perhaps, a better sense of their insecurity, and 

 such uncommonly impudent behaviour on their part is now 

 rarely met with. In most cases it occurs through a large 

 number of the vermin having taken up their quarters in a 

 suitable situation, bordering a road or path, which they 

 probably consider a domain not to be invaded, and in the 

 case of anyone passing by or disturbing them, are prompted 

 by the consciousness of some " inalienable " but scarcely 

 ''concurrent" right to resist intrusion. 



The habits of the weasel and general manner of living 

 differ considerably from those of both the stoat and polecat, 



