MUSTELID^ 461 



winter and summer. The weasel is extremely active in habits, 

 and may be seen often with its family hunting along river-banks 

 and dykes, going in and out of the water-voles' burrows. Their 

 food consists of voles, rats, mice, lizards, snakes, frogs, and eggs. 

 It is said that the weasel carries the egg it has taken under its 

 chin. They do an immense amount of good in destroying voles, 

 both in winter and summer. On the other hand, they some- 

 times take fowls' eggs and do other damage in poultry-houses 

 of a night, whilst not a few game eggs are destroyed, and even 

 young birds. Weasels often migrate in numbers from place to 

 place, especially to where field-voles are in abundance. They 

 breed in spring, sometimes having two litters. On the whole, 

 they do more good than harm. 



The Marten (Maries s/jlvatica). — Only one marten is found 

 in Britain ; it is of a rich dark-brown colour above and reddish- 

 grey fur beneath, with a yellow or orange breast-spot, and a 

 beautiful bushy tail. It was never very common in Britain, 

 and is now very rare. Its skin always was, as it is now, of 

 considerable value. Occasionally we hear of specimens being 

 taken in various parts of the country. 



The Stoat or Ermine (P. erminea) is found in fields and 

 hedgerows near woods and in rabbit - ^varrens. It is about 

 twelve inches long with a tail four inches in length, and has 

 a slender body. In summer it is yellowish-brown with white 

 belly, the tail tipped with black ; in winter the fur becomes 

 white except tlie tip of the tail, which remains jet-black. In 

 England they seldom become so beautifully pure white as they 

 do in colder regions. Stoats hunt at night, feeding upon rats, 

 mice, rabbits, and birds, and they sometimes commit havoc in 

 poultry-yards. Like the weasel, however, they do good as well 

 as harm. 



The Polecat (P. fn'tidux) or Foumart is much larger than the 

 stoat, dark shining brown with yellow wool, and short tail com- 

 pared with other Mustelidffi. Unfortunately this animal, owing 

 to its unnecessary persecution, has become now very rare ; still 



