rangement. In both instances the quarry were all dead. This is contrary 

 to the views of a writer in the Magazine of Natural History. 



In proof of the swimming powers of the stoat, I may mention an anec- 

 dote which I have learned from a ti'ustworthy source : — A respectable 

 farmer, when crossing in his boat over an arm of the sea, about one mile 

 in breadth, which separates a portion of Islandmagee (a peninsula near 

 Lame, County Antrim) from the mainland, observed a ripple proceeding 

 from some animal in the water; and, on rowing up, found that it was a 

 " weasel," which, he had no doubt, was swimming for Islandmagee, as he 

 had seen it going in a direct line from the shore ; and it had reached the 

 distance of a quarter of a mile, when overtaken. The poor animal was 

 cruelly killed, though its gallant swimming might have pleaded in favour 

 of its life. 



I have seen the stoat scampering over a very uneven wall of loose 

 stones almost as rapidly as on level ground, and have admired its ex- 

 tremely graceful movements. That its agility renders it a dangerous 

 enemy to the feathered tribes appears from the following note : — On 2nd 

 September, 1851, the gamekeeper at Tollymore Park (County Down) 

 showed me a Portugal laurel, bordering on a walk in the pleasure-ground, 

 near the house, on the exposed side of which he was attracted, some years 

 ago, by the loud cries of a song-thrush ; and, on going near the scene, he 

 saw a stoat descending the tree with a young bird. He instantly shot the 

 depredator ; and, on examining the nest, found that the stoat had killed 

 a couple of the young, and partly demolished the nest. Two other young 

 ones were, however, still safe, and he had no doubt that they were brought 

 to full maturity by their parents. The site of the nest — about eight feet 

 from the ground — was pointed out to me. 



In July, 1850, a cat was observed, at HoljT\-ood House, in the County 

 of Down, in the act of killing a full-grown stoat, which she brought to 

 her kittens : they ate freely of it. 



In 1845 a stoat was brought to Mr. Davis of Clonmel, which he gave 

 to a friend, in whose house it became quite domesticated, and was greatly 

 admired for the extreme lightness and elegance of its movements, and 

 also for its ceaseless activity. At first it was kept in a cage, whence it 

 escaped, and murdered a jay in the same room ; after this it was not con- 

 fined, but ranged at will through a large shop, a cellar, and two ware- 

 rooms, and never evinced any wish to leave them. Here it became quite 

 tame, and obviously preferred some members of the family to others. Its 

 frolics m the sho]) were very amusing. Sometimes it would scamper 

 along the counter ; at others, run up a lady's back until it reached her 

 bonnet ; but its greatest delight seemed to be giving battle to two old 

 stuffed magpies, twining round their necks, pulling out their feathers, and 

 occasionally tumbling with one from the shelf on which they were kept. 

 It was fed for sevei'al months on bread and milk varied with fleshmeat ; 

 its teeth had been purposely broken, and consequently it was not well 

 able to kill mice. 



Polecat, 3Iustela putorius, Linn. 



The polecat is not positively known as an Irish species to any natural- 

 ist, gamekeeper, or other person familiar with it, whom I have question- 

 ed on the subject. 



It is said to inhabit the wild woods of Kerry ; and I have received 

 notes of the capture, in several other counties, of animals supposed to be 

 of this species, but their identity has not been satisfactorily proved. Two 



