NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 73 
Although he never succeeded in catching a Weasel asleep, he 
was once caught asleep by a Weasel! It happened thus:—Ex- 
hausted with fatigue he had flung himself down by a dyke-side and 
fallen asleep, having previously placed in his hat for safety some 
young birds which he had found during his ramble. He had not 
slept long when he was suddenly awakened by something cold 
pressing in between his forehead and his hat. It was a Weasel, 
who had scented the birds and was trying to get at them. Edward 
threw him away to some distance amongst the grass, and went to 
sleep again: but the Weasel found his way back, and again 
attempted to displace his hat. Three times was the pertinacious 
little animal repulsed and flung to a distance, and three times did 
he return to the attack; until the would-be sleeper was at length 
compelled to strangle him to secure a night’s rest. He had a very 
similar adventure with two Rats, and on another occasion he had a 
most desperate encounter with a Polecat which he had seized 
with his bare hands, and after a severe struggle, in which he 
was terribly bitten and scratched, he succeeded in forcing down 
its throat some chloroform which he always carried with him for 
the purpose of killing insects, and eventually despatched it. 
Fancy administering a dose of chloroform, single-handed and bare- 
handed, to a Polecat! Verily these Scotch naturalists have no 
lack of courage. 
He had an odd adventure one night with an Owl. He had 
fallen asleep in a fox’s “ earth,” with his head upon the lock of his 
gun: before entering the burrow he had caught a Field Mouse, 
which he wished to take home alive, and he thought the best way 
to do this was to tie a string, about six feet long, round its tail, 
and attach the other end to his waistcoat; the little fellow had 
thus full liberty to the end of his tether. While Edward was 
sleeping soundly, he was awakened by something tugging at his 
waistcoat, and by hearing some terrific screeches close to his head. 
Starting to a sense of recollection, he remembered the Mouse, and 
pulled back the string to which it had been attached. The Mouse 
was gone: nothing but the skin of his tail remained. He looked 
up and saw an Owl sitting on a tree a few yards off. The situation 
was explained. 
Being resident, as we have said, at Banff, his rambles extended 
coastwise along the shore of the Moray Firth for about seven 
iL 
