ITS VISIT 77 



an inverted box in a quiet corner. Even in the 

 first week of March, our little friend was seen 

 playing like a puppy with a piece of white 

 paper, not a gunshot from the house. 



Some winters ago a white stoat paid us a 

 similar visit, and might have remained ; but 

 most unfortunately found an untimely end in 

 a rat-trap placed in the afore-mentioned out- 

 house, where no one had dreamt that it would 

 venture. 



This friendly visit has had a result that seems 

 worthy of emphasis. Previously there were 

 always a certain number of rats about ; but 

 since the stoat first appeared not one has been 

 seen. There were also moles in the immediate 

 neighbourhood which caused trouble and annoy- 

 ance ; but these, too, have vanished. One 

 reads much of late of the plague of rats which 

 threatens to become not merely a nuisance but 

 a positive danger; yet everywhere the stoat 

 and the weasel are labelled ' vermin ' and ruth- 

 lessly destroyed by the gamekeeper, who, after 

 all, is only obeying orders given to him by those 

 who might surely know better. 



It is an undisputed fact that the game- 

 preserver has no worse enemy than the rat ; 

 yet he spares neither time nor trouble to destroy 

 the very means provided by an all-wise Provi- 



