Vermin of the Farm. 
471 
its mouth, as a retriever would carry a rabbit, advancing 
sometimes on a narrow field-path, and almost disputing the 
right of way. On one occasion when out partridge shooting we 
came across a weasel in the open, far from any hedgerow. It 
could not escape ; we stood perfectly still and it ran towards 
us. When almost at our feet we touched it with the gun-barrels, 
and instead of showing fear it sprang at the barrels, which it 
vainly clawed and bit in the most angry mood at finding its 
progress stopped. Of course it was allowed to escape. 
The female weasel is much smaller than the male, and is 
doubtless “ the little reddish beast not much bigger than a 
field-mouse, but longer,” which Gilbert White mentions as being 
called “ cane ” by the country people in Hampshire. In East 
Sussex it is called ‘‘ beale ” ; in Yorkshire “ressel ” or “rezzle ” 
(probably a corruption of “weasel”) ; in Norfolk “mouse-hunter” 
or “ mouse-hunt ” ; in East Suffolk “ white-throat ” (male) and 
“ mouse-hunt” (female). 
A young weasel is very helpless for some time, and will 
remain where dropped by the parent if she is disturbed when 
carrying it, as she does, in her mouth. There are usually four 
or five in a litter, occasionally six, and they are deposited in a 
warm nest of dry grass and leaves, generally in a hole in a bank, 
or loose stone wall, or in the hollow of some tree root. If they 
are discovered before they are able to take care of themselves, 
the old one will defend them, and will coiirageously fly at the 
nose of any dog who looks in upon them. 
Weasels, like stoats, hunt by scent, and their small, lithe 
bodies enable them to follow rats and mice along their “runs” 
and through very small holes. Nor can the latter often escape 
by climbing ; for the weasel has been observed up a tree about 
12 feet from the ground, and has been even known to make its 
nest in a hollow tree. One was seen to jump from the top of a 
limestone pit into some water 30 or 40 feet below and swim 
across the pool. For both weasels and stoats can swim well ; we 
have often seen them crossing a stj’eam voluntarily. Sometimes 
they would carry a young one across, sometimes a dead field- 
mouse. On one occasion a weasel was observed to cross a river 
at high tide, where the water was 50 or 60 yards wide. 
Unlike the stoat, the weasel never turns white in winter, 
though a few instances are on record of an albino weasel having 
been killed. We have seen four such albinos which were procured 
in widely separated localities, and were pure white with jiink 
eyes.* 
* Dr. J. Ritzcma Bos, whose work, Tieriache Seh 'ddlinge utid Kutzlinge fur 
Adterhau. is reviewed in this volume of the Journal (Part II., 1892, page IIS), 
VOL. III. T. S. — 11 B L 
