THE RAT. 385 



times struggling on with the stoat on its back, till it drops 

 from loss of blood. Like the polecat it sucks eggs, and in 

 the breeding season it plays sad havoc with the young of the 

 game birds, as well as with leverets, which it readily finds in 

 the grass by hunting the trail of the doe. Its hole is made 

 in similar situations to that of the polecat, but it has not the 

 same strong scent as that animal. Indeed, it is difficult to 

 distinguish it from an ordinary rat-hole. The habits of the 

 stoat are similar to those of the polecat, allowing for the dif- 

 ference of size and strength. 



THE WEASEL (Miistela vulgaris). 



This, the smallest of the tribe, is only seven inches in 

 length from the nose to the tail. The difference in size 

 alone serves to distinguish it from the stoat, with which it is 

 often confounded. The larger animal has also a more hairy 

 coat, and a longer and more bushy tail, the black tip of 

 which in the stoat is patent enough to enable any one to 

 know it from its congener. The weasel differs little in any 

 of its habits from the stoat, excepting that it is obliged to 

 confine its attacks to the leveret and rabbit, as well as to 

 very young partridges and pheasants, the adult animals of 

 these several kinds being too strong for it, though it is said 

 to have fastened on a full-grown hare and sucked its blood. 

 It has, however, so often been confounded with the stoat 

 that I should suspect in this instance the mistake has been 

 made. It is ready enough at sucking eggs, whether large or 

 small, and instances are recorded of its making up for its 

 deficiency of size by combination, five or six, and even more, 

 weasels having been watched hunting in unison. 



THE RAT (Mus decumanus). 



The rat is so well known as to need no description of its 

 appearance, and its habits also are pretty notorious ; but it 

 may be mentioned that occasionally this pest of the farmer 

 is tempted to invade the preserve, and tame-bred young 

 pheasants and partridges are especially likely to be carried 

 off by it. Whenever, therefore, a colony of rats take up 



c c 



