116 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



THE EABBIT AND WEASEL. 



That an animal so large as a rabbit — combative, too, 

 as proved by fierce conflicts with those of its own kind — 

 should be so easily conquered and destroyed by such a 

 diminutive creature as a weasel, seems one of nature's 

 wonders. Yet it is an incident of every-day occurrence — 

 so frequent, indeed, that, despite the solitude of the stage 

 on which this tragedy of animal life is usually enacted, 

 the spectacle is often witnessed. A young lady on a visit 

 at my house some time ago, while out for a walk in Pen- 

 yard Wood, heard a shrill scream, somewhat resembling 

 the cry of a child ; and hastening towards the spot from 

 which it seemed to come, saw a rabbit wildly rushing 

 about in the middle of the wood-road. It was acting as 

 if demented, though only making efforts to escape from 

 a stoat, which had attacked it, and was seen cling- 

 ing along its neck, head to head. Vain they proved, for 

 soon as sighted, and but a few seconds after uttering its 

 distressed cry, the rabbit sank to the earth, dying almost 

 instantly ; while the weasel was driven off. But so far 

 from being frightened, this fierce creature, a very monster 

 in vicious appearance, in its retreat several times turned 

 round, and raising itself erect on its hind legs, seemed to 

 threaten the young lady herself. I have often noticed the 

 stoat assume this defiant attitude when disturbed at its 

 sanguinary game. 



A still more curious incident of this kind lately came 

 under the observation of one of my servants. Out in a 

 field not far from the house he saw a rabbit being chased 

 by a weasel. The chase ended almost immediately by 

 the pursuer springing upon the shoulders of the pursued, 

 giving it the fatal bite on the back of the head, and 



