THE WEASEL. 
299 
of the plunderer : indeed, I cannot say that I ever 
saw a weasel in the act of stealing eggs. 
0.ne morning, in September last, the gardener 
heard a rustling amongst some cabbages in an 
orchard ; and on arriving cautiously at the place^ 
he saw a weasel ; and he managed to get his foot 
upon it, and to kill it, whilst it was in close con- 
tact with a favourite sheldrake. He brought 
them both to me. Upon examining the bird, I 
found that the weasel had fixed its teeth into its 
cheek ; but the wound did not prove mortal, for 
the sheldrake is now in perfect health and vigour. 
Notwithstanding these predatory acts on the part 
of the weasel, I would recommend the lord of the 
manor to pause awhile ere he condemn this bold 
little quadruped to extermination. I have yet 
something to say in its favour ; but, before I under- 
take its defence, I must in fairness allow that cer- 
tain parts of the farmer s property, at times, are 
not exempt from the rapacious attacks of the 
weasel. 
Poultry — the farmer s pride, and his wife's de- 
light — is undoubtedly exposed to have its numbers 
thinned by this animal. Still, when we reflect that 
fowls of all descriptions stray through fields 
haunted by the weasel, with scarcely any decrease 
of their numbers, we may safely draw the conclu- 
sion that the weasel does not, at all times, make 
an attempt upon fowls which are within its reach. 
Last spring, my rumpless fowl, mentioned in 
these Essays, was killed by a weasel in broad day- 
light ; and I may add an instance of a farmer's 
