30 GAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



quently seen, at various times of day, but never together. 

 On emerging from its semi-subterranean retreat, the ani- 

 mal did not appear to look about, but straightway darted 

 oil into a thicket of blackberry-bushes near by, giving 

 great leaps, as though fearful of leaving behind any scent 

 or trace by which the nest could be found. I noticed 

 this sudden darting from the entrance beneath the stump 

 on several occasions, and presume it is a customary 

 method of leaving or entering their retreats. Twice I 

 saw the weasel return, but in neither case did it bring 

 any food with it, unless it was some object smaller than 

 a mouse, nor was there any trace of fur or feathers about 

 the entrance, although I am satisfied that this same pair 

 had destroyed the ground-squirrels that a year previously 

 had been so very abundant. 



Ten days later, I concluded to dig out the nest, if 

 possible, in order to destroy the litter of young it was 

 supposed to contain, and thus prevent the serious raids 

 which I feared would be made on my poultry. 



The nest was scarcely two feet from the entrance on 

 the hill-side, but was effectually protected by the large 

 roots of the stump, behind some of which it was situated. 

 It was lined with dead leaves, grass, and a few feathers 

 of (I think) the robin and the chewink, and the skin of 

 a snake, but no sign of the weasels was there. The 

 nest had no odor about it, that I could detect, but my 

 terrier evidently smelt something, for he dug about the 

 stump, with great energy, for several days after I had 

 completed my examinations. I discovered, soon after, 

 that the weasels had, very shortly before I endeavored to 

 dig them out, transferred their quarters to a rats' burrow 

 under a pig-sty, not far off, and had made a radical 

 change in their habits anol diet, in so far as they now fed 

 exclusively upon the rats in the neighborhood. There 



