THE STOAT, OR ERMINE. 103 



adduce the testimony of more recent writers. W. L. of Selkirk- 

 shire, who has written an interesting essay on animals of this 

 genus, says that " the stoat, by no means refuses a. field-mouse 

 any time that it may come in his way."* Sir Oswald Mosley 

 says, that " during a severe winter, some years ago, he observed 

 an ermine emerge from a tuft of grass with a field-mouse in its 

 mouth j and then, having entered a contiguous plantation, it 

 quickly ascended again, ran about under some leaves, and 

 afforded its observer an opportunity of catching it. His thick 

 gloves were proof against its bites, and the firmness of his grasp 

 prevented it from escaping. After having given it several sharp 

 blows it appeared to be dead, and he thought it was so ; but as 

 soon as he threw it on the ground, the little creature recovered 

 its former liveliness and strength, and ran off with the greatest 

 agility. On examining the fir-tree which was fifteen feet high, 

 it was found that the ermine had safely deposited the mouse in 

 a small bird's-nest built near the top."f These accounts I 

 think sufficient to establish the fact of its preying upon mice, 

 although the most frequent objects of its pursuit are the common 

 rat and the water rat. Mr.W. H. White says, that in September 

 1834, he witnessed a furious contest between a stoat and a water 

 rat. " The rat defended himself with great courage and ferocity, 

 but was at length overpowered by the stoat, which seized him 

 just under the ear, and bore him off to its retreat." | 



" Some hay-makers on Chapelhope meadow, at the upper end 

 of St. Mary's Loch, in Selkirkshire, saw an eagle rapidly soaring 

 above the steep mountains, in a singular and agitated manner. 

 They kept their eyes upon him until he was nearly out of sight. 

 In a short time, however, they were all convinced that he was 

 falling with great rapidity, like a shot bird; the convulsive 

 fluttering of his powerful wings stopping the descent but very 

 little, until he fell at a small distance from the party. On their 

 approach, a stoat ran from the body, turned with the usual 



* Mag. Nat. Hist. (1833), vol. vi. p. 203. 



f Abridged from the Analyst (1837), vol. v. p. 250. 



J Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. viii. (1835), p. 609. 



