192 MUSTELAD^. 



destructive than that animal to poultry and to game, the 

 favourite object of its pursuit is the Common Rat, the 

 Water Vole, and the Rabbit ; as that of the Weasel is 

 the different species of Mice. Although prevented from 

 following the latter little pests into their runs, which 

 are often not much larger than their own bodies, 

 the Stoat nevertheless destroys a great many, as we 

 have seen a considerable number of Mice brought by 

 a female Stoat to her young ones ; but perhaps the 

 portability of the prey may in this instance have been 

 considered. It occasionally attacks Hares, even when 

 full-grown, pursuing them with the utmost pertina- 

 city, and hunting them down by dint of its indefatiga- 

 ble perseverance. The late Rev. F. W. Hope in- 

 formed us that on one occasion, when shooting in Shrop- 

 shire, he heard at a short distance the shrill loud scream 

 of a Hare, which he concluded was just caught in a 

 poacher's springe. On running towards the spot from 

 which the sound proceeded, he saw a Hare limping off, 

 greatly distressed, with something attached to the side 

 of the throat, which a nearer approach showed to be a 

 Stoat. The Hare made its way into the brushwood with 

 its enemy still holding on. The following anecdote, 

 related to us by the late Mr. Wells, of Redleaf, in 

 Kent, affords another remarkable instance of the tenacity 

 with which the Stoat retains its hold on its prey, and at 

 the same time offers a somewhat ludicrous example of 

 the real value of newspaper art-criticism : — Being on a 

 visit to that gentleman, one of the beautiful Landseers 

 in his fine collection having attracted our attention, he 

 gave the following relation respecting it. Some years 

 before, Mr. (now Sir Edwin) Landseer, being at Redleaf, 

 the keeper brought in a dying Hare, with a Stoat still 

 hanging to its throat. The painter seized the oppor- 



