50 IN THE ACADIAN LAND. 



advantage to the weasel. He lives by hunting, 

 and to be as white as the snow prevents his 

 intended victims from readily seeing him. The 

 under portion of his body is not exposed, and 

 summer and winter remains unchanged. Where 

 there is little or no snow these animals retain 

 the brown and white all the year. There is 

 some question whether the white is a new hair 

 in the fall, and the brown a new coat in the 

 spring. I think the truth is that the old coat 

 turns rapidly white with cold weather, but this 

 is replaced by a new brown one in the spring. 

 If we got at the roots of this matter of change, 

 it seems to me it would be found that the whiten- 

 ing is due to the cold; that it serves a good 

 purpose for the animal is rather a lucky hit for 

 him than a providential purpose. Brutes, as 

 well as other people, find luck in their favor 

 sometimes. If it is providential design, why 

 not bestow it upon our red squirrels and par- 

 tridges, and all winter birds and beasts? It 

 would be a fine tiling for them all. If it were 

 not for this advantage in color, the weasel 

 would not be found among the snow. It is 

 hard enough, as matters stand for him, to make 

 a living, but without this advantage the unequal 

 fight would be useless. This animal is able to 

 stay just because he is helped out by his natural 



