174 



MAMMALS. 



cultivated and planted areas which give an increased amount of 

 food-supplies in the shape of mice and rats, which seem to be 

 its principal quarry. Weasels also catch frogs at times, though 

 one would hardly think they were very succulent morsels to such 

 creatures. 



In 1884-5 the Glengarry keepers killed eighty-five ^veasels: this, 

 however, cannot be taken as any criterion of their actual numbers, 

 as these would only be taken on the lower grounds, and not on the 

 hills. About Foyers, Mr. Chisholm informs us that he has noticed 

 for some time back that Stoats are getting rarer and the Weasel 

 increasing in numbers. The Struy keeper writes us that there are 

 very few Stoats and AYeasels to be seen there, and puts this down 

 to continued trapping and shooting. 



The Weasel is recorded as common and general through all 

 our oldest records, and is still very abundant and generally dis- 

 tributed, notwithstanding all efforts to diminish its numbers. 

 Without doubt the increase of food-supplies, in rabbits and game 

 and abundance of micro-mammalia, tend rather to an increase 

 of their numbers than a decrease. On the low grounds of Moray 

 — Laigh of Moray — this species is the most abundant, exceed- 

 ing in numbers the larger species, or Stoat- Weasel, whereas, in 

 the interior and more mountainous districts the latter is the 

 more frequent. A few statistics, selected from many of a similar 

 nature, will give some idea of the numbers of this little self- 

 assertive carnivore. Thus, seventy-five were killed in six weeks' 

 time at Eoseisle by Mr. James Grant, of which the greater 

 portion were the true ' Mouse-AVeasel.' 



In the Banff Museum is a strange-looking group of Weasels. 

 These were found in a hollow tree near Banff in 1863, and 

 presented to the Museum by Mr. Manson, inspector of works, 

 Chalmers' Hospital. This whole group is in a dried-up or 

 mummified condition, and the individuals appear to have died 

 whilst wriggling and fighting with one another. 



In the Inverness Courier of 19th July 1892 there is an 

 account of a swarm of Weasels on the Nairn golf-course. It 

 says : — ' The other day the ground-keepers on the Nairn golf- 

 course came across a drove of Weasels. There appeared to be 

 some fifty of them. The two men attacked the Weasels with 

 sticks and killed three of them, but the others escaped.' 



