CO^^fMON PART RIDGE. 
removed all signs of inflammation, though the plncky little dog carried till his death the marks of the 
wounds received, small pieces of flesh having heen torn from his cheeks and lips. 
One good word, however, tvliich will not stand contradiction, can he said for weasels, as these tiny 
despeiados aaIII invariably destroy rats when they obtain a chance. I have often seen them turned out 
from the cover when wheat-stacks were being taken down, and in every instance remarked that there were 
numbeis of diied lat-skins and other remains of their mortal enemies, dragged to portions of the 
ricks where they had taken up their quarters, and plainly indicating what had attracted them to the spot. 
I particulaily noticed that the farm-labourers, though keen enough to pursue and kill other vermin, 
abvavs ceased their eftorts when the “ kine,” as they termed the vv'easel, was dislodged from beneath the 
sheaves and j)ut to flight, evidently making due allowance for the assistance given in exterminating the 
thievish rats. 
In the pits at some of the sporting “ cribs ” tive-and-twenty or thirty years ago, I have now and 
then seen well-contested battles between a weasel and a rat. The most desperate tight, however, I ever 
watched, terminating in the death of both combatants, wms witnessed between tivo wild animals in the 
garden at lerrygate, in East Lothian. An immense rat was first detected in the act of creeping quietly 
beneath a small heap of rubbish collected on an open space for burning; a few moments later a weasel 
came in view, sniffing slowly and carefully over the newly turned mould across wdiich the rat had made 
his w'ay. On perceiving his actions were observed, he drew up at once, but made not the slightest 
attempt to retreat. As matters seemed at a standstill, I directed a man who was working close at hand 
to turn over the litter below which the rat had concealed himself. Though by far the most powerful in 
pmnt of size and weight, the rat evidently had but little heart for the encounter; when driven from his 
hiding-jdace, he made slowly off some ten or a dozen yards, and was then tackled by his former pursuer, 
who had quietly awaited his opportunity. Though unwilling to come to the scratch while hopes of escape 
remained, the rat when attacked fought well and pluckily, and for the first few minutes had by far the 
best of the struggle. Almost twice as bulky as his active antagonist, he appeared to bear him down each 
time they rose ; hut, small and wiry, the weasel gradually obtained an irresistible grip on the neck of his 
victim. At last the blood began to flow, and the combatants grew rapidly weaker ; still, each retaining 
its hold, they rolled over and over, till suddenly relaxing the grasp they had obtained, they staggered 
back a few paces, and rising up fell dead at the same moment. This battle, lasting several minutes,'" was 
fought utterly regardless of the spectators who had closed round wuthin the distance of a few feet. 
Ihe eggs^ of Partridges and Pheasants are without doubt more frequently destroyed by stoats than 
we generally imagine; not even the nests of our familiar friends the barn-door fowls escape the attentions 
of those bloodthirsty and merciless little thieves. While stopping at a farm-house in the marshes at 
otter Ileigham, in the east of Norfolk, in the summer of 1885, I ascertained the truth of a statement 
concernmg these animals, which I previously considered impossible, viz., that they were constantly in the 
laiit of robbing the nests of the hens and carrying off the eggs. An immense number of fowls were 
■ept at this farm, and though many laid in the baskets prepared for their accommodation in the hen- 
louses, and also in the mangers in the stables and cattle-yards, several resorted to the plantations round 
le gardens, as well as to the adjoining hedgerows. There was a nest near the house from which 
en or a dozen eggs, the produce of as many industrious and noisy old hens, were removed every 
a einoon, and having remarked on one occasion, about mid-day, that it contained eight, nearly the 
lull complement, I was standing on the front-doorstep a few hours later, when on looking up the 
garden, a stoat caught my eye trotting down the path, and finally springing jauntily over the box-ed-ino- 
oidered Die jiatch of Portugal laurel under which the nest was situated. Though considerably less 
an half a minute was spent in snatching up a gun, I arrived on the scene too late, as not a glimpse 
