WEASELS 



contest, and retired to resume her slumbers ; and 

 I saw no more of her for the day. 



This morning we found the two cats sitting 

 beside the cage, which they had evidently been 

 dragging about in the night in their endeavours 

 to get at the inmate, who was peering from the 

 door of her chamber, evidently not greatly 

 alarmed by the episode. 



When the cats had been driven away, she 

 withdrew her head and spent the rest of the 

 morning apparently curled up in her nest, refus- 

 ing to come out, though I held tempting bits at 

 the entrance of the cage and squeaked like a 

 mouse to attract her attention. 



When I poked her with a spear of grass, she 

 refused to stir or take any notice of me, only 

 once uttering a sharp chip like the alarm notes 

 of certain species of warblers. This was the only 

 noise she made, except to hiss softly while 

 struggling with me for the possession of her be- 

 loved rabbit-head. 



87 



