370 THE TAYRA. 



The rat now took up the pursuit, and chased the Stoat with such furious energy that she 

 drove her enemy far from the place. It is probable that the rat had a young family at 

 hand, and was urged to this curious display of courage by the force of her maternal 

 feelings. 



On account of its agile limbs, sharp teeth, and ferocious disposition, even a single 

 Stoat would be an unchancy opponent for an unarmed man. But if several Stoats 

 should unite to attack a single man, he would find himself in bad case, armed or not. 

 Such a circumstance has been lately communicated to me, my informant having heard it 

 from the lips of the principal actor in the scene. 



A gentleman was walking along a road near Cricklade, when he saw two Stoats sitting 

 in the path. He idly picked up a stone, and flung it at the animals, one of which was 

 struck, and was knocked over by the force of the blow. The other Stoat immediately 

 uttered a loud and peculiar cry, which was answered by a number of its companions, who 

 issued from a neighboring hedge, and sprang upon their assailant, running up his body 

 with surprising rapidity, and striving to reach his neck. As soon as he saw the Stoats 

 coming to the attack, he picked up a handful of stones, thinking that he should be able to 

 repel his little enemies, but they came boldly on, in spite of the stones and of his 

 stick Most providentially a sharp wind happened to be blowing on that day, and 

 he had wound a thick woollen comforter round his neck, so that he was partially 

 protected. 



Finding that he had no chance of beating off the pertinacious animals, he flung his 

 stick down, fixed his hat firmly over his temples, and pressing his hands to his neck, so 

 as to guard that perilous spot as much as possible from the sharp teeth of the Stoats, set, 

 off homewards as fast as he could run. By degrees, several of the animals dropped off 

 but others clung so determinately to their opponent, that when he arrived at his stables; 

 no less than five Stoats were killed by his servants as they hung on his person. . His 

 hands, face, and part of his neck were covered with wounds ; but owing to the presence of 

 mind with which he had defended his neck, the large blood-vessels had escaped without 

 injury. The distance from the spot where he had been attacked to his own house was 

 nearly four miles. 



He always declared that when he struck the Stoat with the stone, its companion called 

 out " Murder ! " 



The Stoat, is, like the weasel, possessed of a powerful and exceedingly unpleasant odor ; 

 yet even this disagreeable accompaniment does not always suffice to preserve it from 

 being killed and eaten by predaceous animals more powerful than itself. Even so fastid- 

 ious an animal as the domestic cat has been known to capture a Stoat, to eat part of it 

 herself, and to distribute the remainder to her kittens, who partook of the powerfully- 

 scented food without manifesting any reluctance. 



Although so wild an animal, it has been tamed with as great success as the weasel and 

 the ferret, displaying the same gentle and active playfulness as has been already men- 

 tioned as belonging to the weasel when in a state of domestication. The animal was suf- 

 fered to roam at will about the house, and never gave any intimation that it wished to 

 make its escape. It was an amusingly playful little creature, delighting to leap upon the 

 members of the family, and run up their backs. But its greatest pleasure seemed to be in 

 attacking a couple of old stuffed magpies that stood upon a shelf. It used to jump upon 

 them, twist its serpentine body round their necks, drag out their feathers between its 

 teeth, and would not unfrequently, in the exuberance of its spirits, knock the bird off the 

 shelf, when magpie and Stoat would come to the ground together. 



THE lively little animal which is known by the name of the TAYRA is an inhabitant 

 of tropical America, where it is found in moderate numbers, though not in very great 

 profusion. 



The color of the Tayra is a uniform black, slightly tinged with brown, with the 

 exception of a large white patch which covers the throat and upper portion of the chest. 

 It is said to take up its residence in burrows, which it scoops for itself in the ground. In 

 captivity it is extremely lively and amusing, performing every movement in a sharp, 

 quick manner, and accompanying its actions with an odd little chuckle, something like 



