34 



Pine Mouse is injurious to the Irish and Sweet potato crops, causing more 

 to rot by nibbling holes in them than it consumes, and Wilson's Meadow- 

 mouse lessens our annual product of hay by feeding on the grasses, and 

 by'its long, tortuous galleries among their roots. 



" Whereyer an Ermine has taken up its residence, the mice in its 

 vicinity for half a mile around have been found rapidly to diminish in 

 number. Their active enemy is able to force its thin, uniform body into 

 burrows; it follows them to the end of their galleries, and destroys whole 

 families We have', on several occasions, after a light snow, followed the 

 trail of this weasel through fields and meadows, and witnessed the im- 

 mense destruction which it occasioned in a single night. It enters every 

 hole under stumps, logs, stone-heaps and fences, and evidences of its 

 bloody deeds are seen in the mutilated remains of the mice scattered on 

 the snow. The little Chipping or Ground Squirrel, Tamias lysfteri (sc. 

 gtriattta) takes up its residence in the vicinity of the grain-fields, and is 

 known to carry off in its cheek-pouches vast quantities of wheat and 

 buckwheat to serve as winter stores. The Ermine instinctively discovers 

 these snug retreats, and, in the space of a few minutes, destroys a whole 

 family of these beautiful little Tamiee; without ever resting awhile until 

 it has consumed its now abundant food, its appetite craving for more 

 blood, as if impelled by an irresistable destiny, it proceeds in search of 

 other objects on which it may glut its ins^atiable, vampire-like thirst. 

 The Norway rat and the common house mouse take possession of our 

 barns, wheat-stacks and granaries, and destroy vast quantities of grain. 

 In some instances the farmer is reluctantly compelled to pay even more 

 than a tithe in contributions towards the support of these pests. Let, 

 however, an Ermine find its way into these barns and granaries, and 

 there take up its winter residence, and the havoc which is made among 

 the rats and mice will soon be observable. The Ermine pursues them to 

 iheir farthest retreats, and, in a few weeks the premises are entirely free 

 from their depredations. We once placed a half domesticated Ermine 

 in an out-house, infested with rats, shutting up the holes on the outside 

 to prevent their escape. The little animal soon commenced its work of 

 destruction. The squeaking of the rats was heard throughout the day. 

 In the evening it came out licking its mouth, and seemed like a hound 

 after a long chase, much fatigued. A board of the floor was raised to 

 enable us to ascertain the result of our experiment, and an immense 

 number of rats were observed, which, although they had been killed in 

 different parts of the building, had been dragged together, forming a 

 compact heap. 



" The Ermine is, then, of immense benefit to the farmer. We are of 



