The Babbit and Weasel. 117 



bringing it to the ground. As the quarry fell close to 

 where he stood, he at once chased the weasel off and took 

 possession of the rabbit, finding it, as he expected, in 

 the last gasp of life. And while he still stood holding it 

 in his hands, a second rabbit came running along the 

 edge of the field, exposing itself to the view of the 

 weasel, not yet out of sight. Quick as thought, the 

 bloodthirsty creature, deprived of one prey, hastened to 

 lay hold of another, regardless of the presence and near 

 proximity of the man. And it succeeded; in another 

 second's time being seen to leap up to the rabbit's neck, 

 bite, and bring it to the ground just as before. And as 

 before it was driven off from its prey, both rabbits being 

 retained by my man-servant, and handed over to the 

 cook. 



It is no uncommon thing for rabbits to be found lying 

 dead about the fields skirting a piece of the hilly wood- 

 land infested by weasels — killed by the latter, of course. 

 When recently killed, or fresh enough to be used for 

 food, the finder generally so utilizes them. 



The mode of attack on the part of the predatory 

 animal — which I believe to be chiefly, if not exclusively 

 the stoat {Mustela erminea), and not the smaller or 

 common weasel {M. vulgaris) — is to lie in wait, or 

 stealthily approach the rabbit when the latter is browsing 

 at a distance from its burrow ; then, with a rush and a 

 leap, launching itself upon the victim's neck, and laying 

 itself head to head. There is not much to come after — 

 no combat, no attempt at defence on the part of the poor 

 creature so assailed, only a repetition of shrill cries, which 

 end abruptly by its dropping to the earth, if not actually 

 dead, so paralysed with fear as to cease struggling alto- 

 gether. And the tragic scene itself lasts only a few 



