THE WEASEL. 287 



in his way homewards to pass very close to the prohibited spot, was actually chased away several 

 times by the "futterits," as he called them, and dared not oppose the tierce little creatures. 

 A carrier happening to come in the direction, accompanied the boy to the spot, and was imme- 

 diately attacked by the Weasels. A few sharp blows from his whip laid the principal assail- 

 ants dead at his feet, and the others, seeing the fate of their comrades, left the field to their 

 conquerors. 



There are many similar anecdotes extant, which are easily believed by those who have 

 seen the consummate assurance with which a party of Weasels will run from their habitations 

 and inspect a passing traveller. 



At all times the Weasels are sufficiently precarious in their temper, and extremely apt to 

 take offence ; but when a mother Weasel imagines that her little ones are likely to be endan- 

 gered by man or beast, she becomes a really dangerous opponent. Even so small an animal is 

 capable of inflicting a very severe bite, and when she is urged by the desperate courage which 

 is implanted in the breast of every mother, is not unlikely to succeed in her object before 

 she is repelled. Moreover, she does not trust to her sole efforts, but summons to her assist- 

 ance the inhabitants of the same little community, and with their aid will drive away an 

 unarmed man from the neighborhood of their habitations. Several such instances are on 

 record, in one of which a powerful man was so fatigued with his exertions in keeping off his 

 assailants, that he w T ould soon have sunk under their united attacks had he not been rescued 

 by the timely assistance of a horseman who happened to pass near the spot, and who came to 

 the rescue with his whip. Urged by their bloodthirsty instinct, the Weasels all directed their 

 efforts to the throat, and made their attacks in such rapid succession that their opponent 

 was solely occupied in tearing away the active little creatures and flinging them on the 

 ground, without being permitted the necessary leisure for killing or maiming his pertinacious 

 antagonists. 



It seems that the Weasels will unite their forces for the purposes of sport as well as for 

 those of attack, and will hunt down their game in regular form. Not long ago, as a gentleman 

 was walking in the fields, he saw a number of small objects moving in a line, which he at first 

 took for partridges, but which turned out to be Weasels, which were evidently following the 

 track of some animal by its scent. Having his gun with him, he fired, and found that he had 

 shot no less than six Weasels which had brought themselves into a line with the gun. 



A most curious example of mingled courage and presence of mind displayed by this 

 animal is related by Mr. Bell in his History of British Quadrupeds. 



As a gentleman was riding over his grounds, he saw a kite pounce upon some object and 

 carry it from the ground. In a short time the kite showed symptoms of uneasiness, trying to 

 free itself from some annoying object by means of its talons, and flapping about in a very 

 bewildered manner. In a few minutes the kite fell dead to the earth, and when the spectator 

 of the aerial combat approached, a Weasel ran away from the dead body of the bird, itself 

 being apparently uninjured. On examination of the kite's body, it was found that the Weasel, 

 which had been marked out for the kite's repast, had in its turn become the assailant, and had 

 attacked the unprotected parts which lie beneath the wings. A considerable wound had been 

 made in that spot, and the large blood-vessels torn through. 



The same writer relates a curious anecdote of the conduct of a Weasel towards a snake 

 which was placed in the same box. The snake did not attempt to attack the Weasel, nor the 

 Weasel the snake, both animals appearing equally unwilling to become the assailant. After 

 a while, the Weasel bit the snake once or twice near the nose, but not with any degree of 

 violence, and as the two creatures appeared to be indifferent to each other, the snake was 

 removed. That this peaceable demeanor on the part of the Weasel was not owing to any 

 sluggishness on its own part, was made sufficiently evident by the fact that when a mouse was 

 introduced into the same box, the Weasel immediately issued from its corner, and with a 

 single bite laid the mouse dead. The experiment was made for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether the Weasel would kill and eat a snake, which had been asserted to be the case. 



The fondness of the Weasel for frogs has already been recorded. A curious instance of 

 the nonchalant manner in which the Weasel will sometimes gratify this predilection, occurred 



