Martin. — Against introduction of Beasts of Prey. 18l 



6. Being fearless and bloodthirsty above all other beasts in proportion 

 to their size, there will be no inconsiderable danger of their killing lambs, 

 calves, and other domestic animals, and even human beings, as the following 

 instances from Wood's " Natural History" show : — Two martens killed in one 

 night fourteen lambs out of a flock of twenty-one, and the next night killed 

 the other seven. The marten is in proportion to its size one of the most 

 bloodthirsty of beasts, though less so than the true weasels.* The marten 

 is 18 inches long, the stoat 10 inches, the weasel 8 inches. Of the mun- 

 goos I am not certain, but the Egyptian ichneumon, which is very similar, 

 is 18 inches long. The length of the tail is excluded in each case. 



Two gentlemen who were riding together having halted, one dismounted, 

 leaving his companion to hold his horse. Presently a weasel came out of 

 the hedge and fastened on to the fetlock of one of the horses, retaining its 

 hold until it was killed. 



A strong man was in one instance so beset by weasels, that he had no 

 time to kill them, but could only pluck them off and throw them to the 

 ground, so that he would soon have been killed but for a horseman who 

 came to the rescue with his whip. 



In another case a colony of weasels attacked (without any provocation) 

 various persons that were passing by their home. 



A gentleman happening to see a couple of stoats by the road side picked 

 up a stone and threw it at them, knocking one over, on which the other 

 instantly calling out to its companions a number immediately came out of 

 the hedge and attacked him ; he, fortunately having a woollen comforter on, 

 protected his throat with it and his hands, and ran for his house, a distance 

 of nearly four miles, several stoats being taken off him when he reached 

 home. 



The ichneumons and weasels invariably direct their attacks at the throat 

 or the back of the head, according to the nature of the animal attacked, so 

 that a single bite is fatal, an attack by a weasel or stoat being the more 

 dangerous, as they (and perhaps the mungoos also) aid one another at call ; 

 they possess too no inconsiderable strength for their size, as evidenced by a 

 weasel leaping at and bringing down a partridge from a covey flying above 

 two feet from the ground. The weasels are also very irritable, and are apt 

 to take offence where none is intended, so that children would be liable to 

 their attacks, the more so as the true weasels (Putorius) are fond of living 

 in stone heaps and outbuildings. 



It is well known that the ferret will attack infants, and shows extreme 

 ferocity if interfered with in such cases, an instance of which is given in 

 Wood's " Natural History." Some sheepfarmers perhaps hope that these 



* Enc. Brit., Art. Marten. 



