Migration of Birds, Sc. By Dr Charles Stuart. 571 



water was clear. It came up in the middle of a patch of Iris 

 Pseudacorus. 



The weather from this time to the middle of Jaly was very hot; indeed 

 the only summerlike weather in the whole season. On the evening of the 

 14th July, in returning from Hutton in the dusk, I saw a Hedgehog 

 cross the road. This is rarely to be seen ; but one can sometimes hear 

 them in the dark going through the beech hedges, their prickles making a 

 peculiar sound against the dry leaves. A little later in the season, a female 

 reared a litter of four young ones behind a tree close to the wall at the 

 tennis-green near the house. On sunny mornings the four little fellows 

 were seen basking in a row in front of the tree. On the approach of 

 danger, they bolted in out of sight among the branches. A terrier belong- 

 ing to the house, found out their abode and persecuted them ; so one fine 

 evening the family took their departure in disgust. In passing along the 

 road near Broomdykes, I heard the cries of a Rabbit in distress at the 

 hedge side. Presently a half -grown Rabbit with a large Rat on its back, 

 with its teeth fixed between the shoulders, appeared in the ditch. Stopping 

 my conveyance, the rat as bold as possible held on to its prey, although 

 my driver tried to get at it with the whip shaft. Pulling the Rabbit 

 through the hedge, the rat was too quick, getting the rabbit out of reach 

 into a burrow before my driver could strike a blow ! These carnivorous 

 rats are very fierce and attain a large size. The Weasels and Stoats are so 

 killed down by the keepers that the rats have now very nearly taken 

 possession of the land. In the summer they live in the fields and hedge 

 rows. When the weather becomes severe, they invade the farm buildings, 

 doing great damage to the stack-yards and in the granaries. About this 

 time a Yellow Trout was killed at Coldingham Loch, by the Bank agent at 

 Eyemouth, weighing 71bs. Some Loch Leven trout have been put into 

 the Loch and thriven, so we may expect to hear of farther captures. Many 

 Green Plovers, young and old, flying about the turnip fields at 9 p.m. 

 Stories of attacks by Weasels, have frequently been read in the news- 

 papers, on solitary travellers. Considerable doubt existed in my mind as to 

 the truth of these stories ; which without being absolutely untrue, were 

 probably exaggerated. Two undoubted instances have been brought under 

 my notice. My brother-in-law, the late Mr John Edgar, was walking up 

 the Myre Brae near Auchincrow, when he was set upon by a number of 

 Weasels, and had to run to escape their attack. A gardener who lives 

 near me, and is a credible witness, told me that upon one occasion, near 

 Blackadder Bank, he met two dozen on the middle of the Berwick high 

 road there, who disputed his passage. Fortunately he was armed with a 

 stout stick, which he used right and left among them, killing two outright 

 and wounding many. When the Weasels saw their dead companions on 

 the road they gave way, and retired. I believe this aggressiveness on the 

 part of these animals, is principally shown during their breeding season. 

 The Weasel is undoubtedly a bold animal, or perhaps more correctly an 

 impudent one. Watching on more than one occasion a rabbit coursed by 

 one, I have on " the kill " taking place, interfered and taken the rabbit 

 from its enemy. In doing so, the Weasel has hung by its teeth to the 



