162 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



ing. It exhibits great address and cunning to com- 

 pass its ends, and seems to disobey certain prohibi- 

 tions merely through caprice. 



"In the midst of twenty people it distinguishes my 

 voice, seeks me out and springs over all the others to 

 come at me. 



" One singularity in this charming little animal is 

 its curiosity. It is impossible to open a drawer or a 

 box, or even to look at a paper, but it will examine 

 it also. If it gets into any place where I am afraid of 

 permitting it to stay, I take a paper or a book and 

 look attentively at it, on which the Weasel immedi- 

 ately runs upon my hand and surveys with an inquisi- 

 tive air whatever I happen to hold. I must further 

 observe that it plays with a young Cat and Dog, both 

 of considerable size." 



If carefully tended a domesticated Weasel may 

 live from four to six years ; in its wild state it prob- 

 ably lives from eight to ten years. Unfortunately 

 these small, useful animals are much pursued by 

 malicious people and killed from sheer mischievous- 

 ness. A Weasel is easily caught in a trap, with bait 

 of an egg, a small bird or a Mouse. On account of 

 its great usefulness, the little animal ought to be 

 thoroughly protected instead of being pursued. It 

 may be safely stated that no other animal is so fitly 

 endowed for hunting Mice. 



The Ermine, Closely allied to the Weasel is the Er- 



or Stoat, mine or Stoat {Putorius erminea) which 



Described, resembles the former in its shape and 

 mode of life, but is of larger dimensions than its 

 little kinsman. The total length of the Ermine is 

 thirteen inches, or a little more in high northern 

 latitudes. The upper part of the body and half of 

 the tail are of a brownish red color in summer 

 and white in winter, and the woolly coat is also 

 brownish red, or white, according to the season. 

 The under part of the body is always white with a 

 slight yellow tinge and the extremity of the tail is 

 always black. 



Changes in The modifications of tint which the 

 the Fur of the Ermine undergoes in the different sea- 

 Ermine. sons have given rise to differences of 

 opinion among naturalists. Some assume that it 

 sheds its hair twice a year; others, with whom I 

 agree, are of the opinion that the summer-hair simply 

 bleaches out at the approach of cold weather, a 

 phenomenon which is also observed in the Arctic 

 Fox and the Alpine Hare. The Swedish writer, 

 Grill, whose charming descriptions I quote below, 

 has had excellent opportunities of watching the 

 change of color in captive Ermines in the spring. 

 "On the 4th of March," he says, "one could see the 

 first dark hairs between the eyes. On the 10th a 

 dark patch had spread over half the forehead, but 

 still snowed white spots here and there. Around the 

 eyes and nose several small dark spots had appeared. 

 VVhen it bent itself, one could see that the roots of 

 the hairs on the middle of the back, the shoulders 

 and on the head were dark. The change of color 

 took place very rapidly, especially at first, so much 

 so that its progress could be traced daily or even 

 half-daily. On the 3d of April the only white places 

 were the lower part of the neck and throat, the 

 whole under portion of the body, the ears, a strip 

 running from the ears to the eyes, which were sur- 

 rounded by a narrow dark border, a small piece 

 adjoining the black part of the tail, the feet, the 

 inner sides of the legs, and the buttocks. On the 

 19th the ears, with the exception of a small spot, had 

 become brown. At first the dark hairs grew to- 



gether, and before they were as long as the white 

 ones, the latter had fallen out. We may say that 

 the real change went on during the first half of 

 March ; after the 19th of March the brown coat only 

 spreads more and gradually takes the place of the 

 white one." 



Where and The Ermine is spread over a large ex- 

 How the tent of country in the north of both the 

 Ermine Lives, old and New World. It inhabits all 

 Europe to the north of the Pyrenees and the Balk- 

 ans, and northern and central Asia to the eastern 

 coast of Siberia. It has also been found in Asia 

 Minor, Persia and Afghanistan and even in the Him- 

 alayas. In America it is found from the extreme 

 north southward taking in the northern half of the 

 United States. Wherever it exists, it is rather com- 

 mon, and in Germany it is one of the commonest 

 Beasts of Prey. 



Like the Weasel, the Ermine is found in any kind 

 of locality, and knows how to make itself at home 

 anywhere. Holes in the ground, burrows of Moles 

 and Hamsters, clefts of rock, holes in walls, crevices, 

 heaps of stone, trees, deserted buildings and a hun- 

 dred similar hiding places are used by the Ermine 

 during the day, and there it sleeps while the sun 

 shines ; though it also frequently happens that it 

 promenades around, boldly exposing itself to human 

 eyes. Its real activity, as a rule, begins at dusk. 

 Toward evening it exhibits a lively disposition, and 

 one who looks in favorable localities at this time 

 will not need to search long before discovering this 

 ingenious little creature with its intelligent eyes. 

 It may be called a master in all physical exercises; 

 runs and leaps with the greatest agility, is an excel- 

 lent climber and can swim rapidly across wide rivers. 

 Its mental endowments harmonize completely with 

 its physical attributes. It possesses as much cour- 

 age as its small cousin the Weasel, and has an ex- 

 tremely sanguinary disposition. 



The Ermine The Ermine preys upon all small quad- 

 and Its Numer- rupeds and birds which it can conquer, 



ous Prey. an j often attacks animals greatly its 

 superior in size. It wages constant war on Mice, 

 Moles, Hamsters, Rabbits, Sparrows, Larks, Pigeons, 

 Chickens, Swallows, which it takes from out of their 

 nests; Snakes and Lizards, and even Hares are not 

 secure from it. 



It is a very pretty sight to watch an Ermine bent 

 on pursuing one of its favorite prey, a Water-Rat. 

 This rodent is hunted on the ground and in the water 

 by the little rascal and, unfavorable as the proper 

 element of the Rats seems to be to the Ermine, it 

 succeeds in worsting them. At first it searches all 

 the holes. Its acute sense of smell informs it accu- 

 rately whether one or two Rats are taking repose in 

 one of the holes. When the Ermine has found a 

 promising hole, it enters it without further ado. The 

 Rat, full of dismay of course, rushes into the water, 

 and makes for a thicket of reeds ; but this does not 

 place it out of the reach of its vigilant pursuer and 

 most ferocious enemy; keeping head and neck above 

 water like a Dog, the Ermine glides on and pursues 

 the Rat with indomitable perseverance. If chance 

 does not come to the rescue, the Rat is lost. 



The Ermine is caught in all kinds of traps, some- 

 times in Rat traps which it chances to enter. 

 Ermines which are caught young may become very 

 tame and afford their keeper a great deal of pleas- 

 ure. Some specimens are said to have followed 

 their keeper about like a Dog. Even old Ermines 

 may sometimes be domesticated. 



