56 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
creatures are said to have over their victims. During the past summer, I 
was one afternoon standing at an open window overlooking a large lawn, 
when I saw a rabbit acting in a most peculiar manner, running apparently 
in circles, and, as far as the intervening bushes would allow me to observe, 
each circuit decreasing the diameter of its rounds, until at last I lost sight 
of it altogether behind the bushes. I thought at first it was playing with 
one of its own kind, as rabbits often do in the early evening; but as I saw 
no other anywhere near the spot, I fora moment questioned myself what 
could be the cause, but was not long in doubt, for it had disappeared 
behind the bushes but a short time, when I heard the ery which only too 
plainly told that a Stoat was doing its deadly work. I was too far off to 
hear if the rabbit made any noise during its gyrations ;-if it did so, the ery 
must have been much fainter than when the Stoat fastened on to its neck. 
It was some little time after the above performance when I went to look at 
the spot where it had taken place, and thinking the Stoat might still be in 
the vicinity I crept quietly thither. The Stoat, however, saw me long 
before I reached the place, and proceeded to make off across the lawn, and 
I could not but admire the actions of the artful little beast; if I stood still 
it would rise up on its hind legs, and move its head from side to side as 
quickly as possible, at the same time uttering a faint kind of squeal, as if 
annoyed at my presence, but if I advanced a step, eitber towards itself or 
the rabbit,—which was lying dead at no great distance,—it would lie flat 
upon its belly, vainly endeavouring to hide amongst the closely-mown 
grass. Is not the power of fascination said to be in the eye of the creature 
exercising it? In the case of the rabbit it might have been so, but with the 
rat it must have been different, and yet neither seemed to have the power 
of escape from their bloodthirsty enemy.—G. B. Corsin (Ringwood, Hants). 
[Replying to our correspondent’s queries, we may remark that we once 
came upon a Stoat in Selborne Hanger, which had assumed a good deal of 
its white winter coat in the month of October. We do not regard this 
change as dependent upon severity of weather, but as aualogous to the 
change of plumage in birds which takes place at particular seasons as a 
rule, irrespective of temperature, although we do not doubt that sudden 
changes of temperature may operate to hasten or retard ‘the change. We 
do not remember to have seen a Stoat in midwinter retaining its summer 
coat, or a pied or white Stoat in summer time. That this animal hunts by 
scent, we have long been convinced, having repeatedly proved it to our 
satisfaction by personal observation.—ED. ] 
Curtovs Accipent To A Hare.—A curious fate befel a Hare during the 
late severe weather in one of the dew-ponds of the elevated chalk range of 
this neighbourhood, which may be worth noticing. The unfortunate animal, 
either to elude her pursuers or during her nightly ramble, trusted herself 
