98 THE COMMON WEASEL. 



The animal was so intent on her burden that she did not see 

 the man till he kicked her, when she dropped her young one and 

 retreated into the bottom of the hedge. The man then stood 

 over her helpless offspring, with a large stick in his hand, 

 merely to see how the parent would proceed. She soon peeped 

 out of her covert, and then made several feints to get her 

 charge j but was obliged to run into the hedge again, apparently 

 intimidated at the stick which he flourished and knocked about. 

 At last she summoned up all her resolution for one grand effort ; 

 and in spite of the opposition of the man, after a great deal 

 of dodging to avoid the stick, which he used in every way to 

 keep her off without hurting her, she fairly succeeded in ob- 

 taining the object of her solicitude, and bore it off in triumph 

 from between his 



THE STOAT OR ERMINE. (Mustela erminea, Linn.) 

 Greater Weasel. Stout.^ 



The stoat or ermine, though common in Britain, is most 

 abundant in the wilds of Russia, Norway, Siberia, Lapland, and 

 other cold countries of Europe and Asia. 



It is nearly ten inches in length from the nose to the rump j 

 and the tail is about four inches and three-quarters. It is about 

 one-third larger than the weasel, with which it is often con- 

 founded owing to a close resemblance in form. The other points 



* Mag. Nat. Hist. (1831), vol. iv. p. 338. 



f A writer in the Quarterly Review (Sept. 1836, p. 90), says that in York- 

 shire the stoat is also called clu&ster, clubstart, and clubtail-, and, in Norfolk, 

 is known by the name of lobster. 



