22 



FARM VERMIN, HELPFUL AND HURFFUL. 



the seasons. '^The second cause assigned by witnesses is the 

 destruction of hawks, buzzards, owls, stoats, and weasels by 

 persons interested in the preservation of game.'' Major 

 Craigie had previously stated to your Board that a prepon- 

 derance of opinion amongst farmers is reported, tracing the 

 cause of the present outbreak to the scarcity of owls, kestrels, 

 hawks, weasels, and other vermin. Of the prevalence of 

 this opinion your Committee were made fully aware, nearly 

 every witness who was examined giving it as his belief that 

 the outbreak w^as due to the destruction of the * natural 

 enemies ' of the voles." The Committee further reported 

 that they had "no hesitation in recommending that weasels, 

 which are persistent mouse-hunters and do little damage to 

 game, should not be molested, at least on moorlands and 

 hill pastures, where they can do little harm and much 

 good.'' 



In case of an undue abundance of the smaller members of 

 the weasel family, trapping may have to be resorted to. 

 Some kind of fall or tunnel trap for use on speculation '' 

 in likely places ; and the steel gin, either baited or set 

 where the animal is likely to pass, in the case of the desired 

 destruction of individuals known to frequent any given 

 place, are the remedies." The bottom of a small dry 

 ditch is a favourite road" with stoats and weasels in pass- 

 ing from place to place, and among buildings they always 

 like to travel along just at the foot of the walls or under any- 

 thing that will give them temporary shelter from obser- 

 vation. I have more than once seen stoats running along 

 the top of a low dry stone wall, and a flat stone or old slab 

 set up in a slanting position against the wall may tempt 

 one coming that way to pass between them. Success in 

 trapping depends largely on finding out these likely spots. 



