238 SKELETONS OF WEASELS—RATS. [PART II. 
The skeletons of two Weasels, picked perfectly 
clean, were found in a wheat-rick on a farm in our 
neighbourhood, whose death the men employed in 
taking it in attributed to rats, of which there were 
also many in the rick. I doubt, however, whether 
rats ever commit such an act of retributive justice, 
and should rather imagine that they met their 
deaths from indulging in a course of poisoned 
mouse, of which a plentiful supply was at hand. 
Their bones may have been afterwards picked by 
the rats, who, being no way particular, may have 
dined upon them by way of a change of diet. 
Another adjoining homestead was about the 
same time infested by Rats, which seemed to have 
arrived suddenly, the place having been, until a 
short time before, almost free from them. Up- 
wards of twenty dozen were caught there in the 
course of a few weeks. Whilst this work of ex- 
termination was going on, as the rat-catcher was 
one day ferreting them in the barn, the bailiff, 
who was standing outside, called his attention to 
a part of the thatch where he heard some of them 
squeaking. He passed his hand along it, under 
the impression that there was a nest there, and 
came presently to a part which was quite warm. 
Having discovered, or made, a hole communicating 
