STOAT OR ERMINE. 67 



colour of the ground littered with the remains of dead leaves, 

 bark, etc. ; but in a landscape under snow for months, as the 

 Alpine districts are, the brown fur would render the animal so 

 conspicuous that it would be heavily handicapped in the hunt 

 for food ; but the winter change to white fur enables the Stoat 

 to steal upon its prey unseen from a short distance. The change 

 is quite sudden, given the requisite fall in the temperature, 

 the pigment being withdrawn. (See Introductory chapter.) 



Like the Polecat, the Stoat can secrete a most objectionable 

 odour from its scent-glands, but in this case it is not nearly so 

 insupportable. St. John says that if the Stoat is suddenly shot 

 before he has had time to see his aggressor the dead body has 

 not this offensive odour ; the same result follows upon his 

 sudden death in a spring trap, but if he is trapped alive or 

 hunted before being shot the vile smell is imparted to the fur 

 and is irremovable. 



The Stoat hunts along hedgerows, rivers and brooks, in 

 the latter places for fish, of which all the members of the 

 Weasel tribe are exceedingly fond. An eel or other fish placed 

 in a trap is a deadly bait for these animals. The Stoat also 

 frequents sand dunes, where it lives sumptuously upon Rabbits. 

 It is very destructive to game and poultry, which it will attack 

 right in the open field, and if pursued by a dog, immediately 

 takes shelter in a mole's or rat's run, where pursuit is impossible. 

 It will destroy the Mole and take possession of its chamber, 

 though it appears to be fonder of " field mice " (Voles) than of 

 Moles. Although largely nocturnal in its habits, it is by no 

 means exclusively so, and there is more chance of observing 

 the Stoat hunting in broad daylight than in the case of any 

 other of our native carnivora. Sometimes it hunts in small 

 packs family parties ; and it is said that when through increase 

 of its own numbers it has largely reduced the food supply of a 

 district, it will migrate in large numbers, when their associated 

 courage is so great that they will attack a man. A single 



