102 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cwap. x11 
and, a few days ago, I saw one bring three young landrails in as 
many minutes out ofa field of high wheat. In fact, as long as 
she can find an animal to kill, so long will a weasel hunt, whether 
in want of food or not. Ihave frequently seen a weasel, smali 
as he is, kill a full-grown rabbit. The latter is sometimes so 
frightened at the persevering ferocity of his little enemy, that it 
lies down and cries out before the weasel has come up. Occa- 
sionally these animals join in a company of six or eight, and 
hunt down rabbit or hare, giving tongue and tracking their un- 
fortunate victim like a pack of beagles. 
There is no doubt that in some degree they repay the damage 
done to game, by the number of rats and mice which they destroy 
(the latter being their favourite food). The weasel will take up 
its abode in a stack-yard, living on the mice and small birds that 
it catches for some time, and the farmer looks on it as a useful 
ally ; till, some night, the mice begin to grow scarce, and then 
the chickens suffer. Eggs, fresh and rotten, are favourite dain- 
ties with the weasel. 
I once witnessed a very curious feat of this active little animal. 
I saw a weasel hunting and prying about a stubble field in which 
were several corn-buntings flying about, and every now and then 
alighting to sing on the straggling thistle that rose above the 
stubble. Presently the little fellow disappeared at the foot of a 
thistle, and I imagined he had gone into a hole. I waited, how- 
ever, to see what would happen, as, from the way he had beer 
hunting about, he evidently had some mischief in his head, Soon 
a corn-bunting alighted on the very thistle near which the weasel 
had disappeared, and which was the highest in the field. The 
next moment I saw something spring up as quick as lightning, 
and disappear again along with the bird. I then thought it time 
to interfere, and found that the weasel had caught and killed the 
bunting, having, evidently guided by his instinct or observation, 
waited concealed at the foot of the plant where he had expected 
the bird to alight. A friend of mine who was a great naturalist, 
assured me, that, tracking a weasel in snow on the hill-side, he 
found where the animal had evidently sprung upon a grouse; 
and, on carrying on his observation, he had convinced himselt 
that the bird had flown away with the quadruped, and had fallen 
to the ground about thirty yards off, where he found it with its 
