194 MUSTELAD^. 



but nevertheless gradually approaching its victim, which, 

 excepting for our interference, it would doubtless have 

 shortly pounced upon and destroyed. 



The Stoat is certainly one of the boldest animals of 

 its size. It pursues its prey with the greatest intrepidity, 

 even into circumstances of considerable danger, and, 

 like the Weasel, will follow it into the water : it will 

 also cross the water for the purpose of besieging the 

 haunts of the "Water Vole, Arvicola awphibius, of which 

 it destroys great numbers. In swimming, " it lifts the 

 head and neck well out of the water, like a Dog." That 

 the Stoat is also an expert climber, the following state- 

 ment .will fully show : Mr. W. B. Tomes being attracted 

 by the clamour of some sparrows in a tree, on looking 

 up, saw some brown object projecting from the entrance 

 of a nest of one of these birds, which was in the top 

 branches of the tree. A shot from his fowling-piece 

 brought down a Stoat, whose fore parts had been con- 

 cealed within the nest, the contents of which the animal 

 was doubtless making free with. We saw the tree 

 shortly afterwards, an ash, with a clear bole of ten 

 inches in diameter, such as we should have thought it 

 scarcely possible for a Stoat to ascend. It hunts its 

 prey by scent ; a fact observed by the father of the 

 author of our former edition very many years since, and 

 more recently stated by our friend Mr. Hogg, in his 

 interesting paper on the habits of the Stoat, to which we 

 shall have occasion again to refer. In short, in all these 

 circumstances, its habits are exactly similar to those of 

 the Weasel. Like that animal, too, it is known often to 

 make use of the excavations of the Mole for its winter 

 retreats. 



Of all the animals with which we are acquainted, the 

 Stoat is the most playful. Not even the lively Squirrel, 



