252 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 
outside to prevent their escape. The little animal 
soon commenced his work of destruction. The squeak- 
ing 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 the opinion that it has been over- 
hated and too indiscriminately persecuted.’’ 
Again, in another place, Dr. Bachman returns 
to the weasel’s abilities as follows: 
‘We have traced the footsteps of this bloodsucking 
little animal on the snow, pursuing the trail of the 
American rabbit, and although it could not overtake 
its prey by superior speed, yet the timid hare soon 
took refuge in the hollow of a tree, or in a hole dug 
by the marmot or skunk. Thither it was pursued 
by the ermine and destroyed, the skin and other re- 
mains at the mouth of the burrow bearing evidence 
of the fact. We observed an ermine, after having 
captured a hare of the above species, first behead it 
and then drag the body some twenty yards over the 
fresh fallen snow, beneath which it was concealed, and 
the snow lightly pressed down over it; the little 
prowler displaying thereby a habit of which we be- 
came aware for the first time on that occasion. To 
