330 Wild Life in Wales 



and when first observed was hastening in my direction, 

 carrying a Vole in her mouth. With this she disappeared 

 into a hole, amongst some old sleepers, on the opposite side 

 of the railway. In less than a minute she darted out again, 

 and began hunting the bank, high and low, in a very frenzy 

 of excitement. Holes, and runs of Voles, were numerous, 

 and in and out of these she worked at high pressure. 

 Presently another Vole was started, and very quickly over- 

 taken, and killed, and carried off to the retreat below the 

 sleepers. Returning again and again, she went through the 

 same performance, until four Voles had been accounted for ; 

 a fifth afforded a little longer hunt, leaving the bank, while 

 the Weasel was not in sight, and running some distance 

 down the railway. Once, however, she hit off the trail, she 

 followed it furiously, and soon overtook the runaway, and 

 carried him, also, to her dwelling under the sleepers. All 

 the Voles were full grown ; but large though they were, in 

 proportion to the Weasel, they were all killed instantly, by 

 a bite at the back of the head, once or twice followed by a 

 slight shake, and were carried, at a canter, without difficulty. 

 From her size the Weasel was evidently a female, and she 

 may have had young below the sleepers to provide for, or 

 she may simply have been enjoying the hunt for hunting's 

 sake. That the latter is often the only motive for slaughter 

 there is no doubt ; and taking that into consideration, it is 

 not easy to gauge the amount of good a single Weasel is 

 capable of doing, in a mouse-infested district, in a very 

 short time. Whether this particular Weasel had young or 

 not, she did not remain to discuss the food with them ; for, 

 the supply of Voles being exhausted there, she continued 

 her quest down the side of the fence, and when last seen 

 she was springing at a Thrush, in the hedge, which narrowly 

 escaped with its life at the expense of a mouthful of 

 feathers ! 



On another occasion I saw a Vole captured by a Stoat, 

 under rather peculiar circumstances. I was sitting amongst 

 the rocks overlooking Ceunant Llechweddyfwyalchen, the 

 narrow gorge by which one branch of the Little Dee 

 debouches from Aran, when a Stoat was observed hunting 



