EXTRAORDINARY ADAPTABILITY OF A STOAT 7 



and the only indication that the limb-muscles had retained 

 a degree of activity was that both humeri possessed small 

 abnormal rugosities showing where the amputated muscles 

 had formed new attachments. It is possible, therefore, that 

 the Stoat had adopted a new balance, and had perfected 

 a movement depending upon a more or less upright carriage 

 with propulsion from hind-limbs alone — a development of 

 the "sitting-up" attitude. But this would mean a very 

 considerable modification of habit, for Mr Douglas English, 

 as quoted by Millais {I.e., p. 138), says: "I was surprised 

 at the rarity of the ' sitting-up ' position, which in the case 

 of Stoats and Weasels is a common-place of illustration. 

 I have never seen this position (full front with the fore- 

 paws clear of support) more than momentarily adopted 

 by Stoat, Weasel, or Polecat." Yet, in our case, the Stoat 

 sat up "like a begging dog" before the keeper fired. 



There can be few cases of adaptability to conditions 

 arising from the loss of limbs more remarkable than that 

 of the Hopetoun Stoat. A Rabbit with one fore-limb 

 missing, and yet "able to run as fast as any of its four- 

 limbed brethren " was recently recorded in Tlie Field 

 (24th Dec. 1921, p. 832); and in the same journal (17th May 

 191 3) occurs a description of a well-grown Stoat in which 

 the right fore-leg had been absent from birth ; but in each 

 of these cases the remaining limb, as its unusual robustness 

 showed, made up for the deficiency of its neighbour. There 

 is something much more wonderful in the successful sur- 

 mounting of an apparently insurmountable handicap by 

 a creature, deprived of fore -limbs, which depended for 

 sustenance largely upon the capture of active prey. 



