COMMON WEASEL; 187 



with a hole eaten through the skin under the wing, and 

 the large blood-vessels of the part torn through. A 

 similar anecdote is related in London's Magazine of 

 Natural History, where the dramatis persona were a Stoat 

 and an eagle ; but the truth of it appears not to be 

 vouched for by the narrator. Of the accuracy of the 

 present fact there is, however, no doubt, as we knew 

 Mr. Finder well, and have often heard the circumstance 

 related. 



The female Weasel is much smaller than the male, and 

 is no doubt the " little reddish beast, not much bigger 

 than a Field Mouse, but much longer," mentioned by 

 White in his Natural History of Selbourne, and called 

 "Cane" by the people of that district. It is known in 

 Surrey also by the name of " Kine," as Mr. Blyth has 

 informed us. We have received specimens of this animal 

 from several parts of England, and find, as may be sup- 

 posed, that it is nothing more than the female Weasel 

 of unusually small size. She brings forth four, or more 

 frequently five young, and is said to have two or three 

 litters in a year. The nest is composed of dry leaves 

 and herbage, and is warm and dry, being usually placed 

 in a hole in a bank, in a dry ditch, or a hollow tree. 

 She will defend her young with the utmost desperation 

 against any assailant, and sacrifice her own life rather 

 than desert them ; and even when the nest is torn up by 

 a Dog, rushing out with great fury, and fastening upon 

 his nose or lips. 



We have ourselves had several opportunities of ob- 

 serving the nest of the Weasel, and in every instance it 

 was placed in a hole in the ground, which from its size 

 had much the appearance of having been constructed 

 by the animal herself. The smallest number of young 

 observed was four, and the greatest six. Seating our- 



B B 2 



