THE «TOAT. 7 



led to believe that by -iveasel he meant stoat. Macgilli\Tay tells us (Brit. 

 Quad. p. 164) that the Aveasel "is generally distributed in Ireland," but 

 no authority is given. Mr. J. V. Stewart notes both the weasel and stoat 

 as occurring in County Donegal ; and tAVO skins of the true weasel were 

 given to me, in 1842, Avhich were said to have been obtained at Tor Head 

 (County Antrim). Information from Tipperary and Kerry is in favour of 

 its being found there, but no iiroof has been afforded ; and correspond- 

 ents in various localities, to whom the species is known as distinct from 

 the stoat, are of opinion that the former is not indigenous to Ireland. It 

 is, I understand, common in some of the counties of Scotland which lie 

 nearest to Ireland. Both the weasel and stoat are, according to my 

 friend Mr. Robert Langtry, found at Dunskey, Wigtonshire. The agent 

 there told Mr. L. that, seeing a weasel {Miistela vulgaris) in pursuit of a 

 rabbit, he sat down and watched the issue. The rabbit had superior 

 speed, but the enemy followed by scent ; and after dislodging it several 

 times from burrows, eventually killed it. 



The Stoat (commonly called Weasel in Ireland), 

 3Iustela Erminea, Linn., 

 Is abundant throughout Ireland. 



It varies considerably in size, but is generally about 10 inches long in 

 head and body; tail (to tip of hair), 5 J to of inches. Macgillivray (Brit. 

 Quad. p. 156) enters particularly into the question of the difference of size 

 in the stoat. He believes them all to be of one species. 



Common as this animal is in Ireland, I have never seen or heard of a 

 white one being taken in winter. Towards the end of our most severe 

 winters in the north, I never saw any change of fur in these animals. 

 Yet in the part of Scotland nearest to Ireland, where the difference of 

 climate from that of the opposite coast must be most trivial, the stoat 

 becomes white every winter ; and even southwards, to Cornwall, in Eng- 

 land, it is occasionally seen in this attire (Couch, in Bell's Brit. Quad. p. 

 151). On 24th March, 1838, I watched a stoat for a long time near Bel- 

 fast. It had not a white spot upon it, though the Avinter had been re- 

 markably severe. 



A friend, who has occasionally resided at shooting quarters in Scotland, 

 informed me, on 9th December, 18o8, that a few days previously he saw 

 two stoats, which had been killed at Glenappe (AjTshire), and which 

 were nearly all white. There had been scarcely any frost or snow during 

 the winter. 



The same gentleman also saw three of these animals taken in the early 

 part of January, 1839, near Ballintrae, all of which were pure white, with 

 the exception of the tips of their tails, and some portions of the face 

 Although a veteran sportsman, he had never seen one even approaching 

 to white in Ireland. On 27th January, 184C, a stoat, killed in Wigton- 

 shire, was brought for my inspection. It was wholly white, except a 

 patch of brown on each side of the face, and, of course, the lower half of 

 the tail, which was black. The winter had been remarkably mild, Avith 

 no frost or snow, although there Avas abundance of I'ain and storm. 



The gamekeeper at ToUymore Park (County Down) informed me, in 

 June, 18.'38, that he had on tAvo occasions seen nests of this species. In 

 one Avere about a dozen mice — a young rabbit and a young hare — also 

 all the feathers and tail of a young Avoodcock. In the other he found 

 six or seven mice, in addition to other things. They Avere packed regu- 

 larly on the top of each other — " all laid the one way " — in beautiful ar- 



