THE WEASEL. 
287 
in Ms way homewards to pass very close to the prohibited spot, was actually chased away several 
times by the “futterits,” as he called them, and dared not oppose the fierce little creatures. 
A carrier happening to come in the direction, accompanied the boy to the spot, and was imme- 
diately attacked by the Weasels. A few sharp blows from his wMp laid the principal assail- 
ants dead at his feet, and the others, seeing the fate of their comrades, left the field to their 
conquerors. 
There are many similar anecdotes extant, which are easily believed by those who have 
seen the consummate assurance with which a party of Weasels will run from their habitations 
and inspect a passing traveller. 
At all times the Weasels are sufficiently precarious in their temper, and extremely apt to 
take offence ; but when a mother Weasel imagines that her little ones are likely to be endan- 
gered by man or beast, she becomes a really dangerous opponent. Even so small an animal is 
capable of inflicting a very severe bite, and when she is urged by the desperate courage which 
is implanted in the breast of every mother, is not unlikely to succeed in her object before 
she is repelled. Moreover, she does not trust to her sole efforts, but summons to her assist- 
ance the inhabitants of the same little community, and with their aid will drive away an 
unarmed man from the neighborhood of their habitations. Several such instances are on 
record, in one of which a powerful man was so fatigued with his exertions in keeping off his 
assailants, that he would soon have sunk under their united attacks had he not been rescued 
by the timely assistance of a horseman who happened to pass near the spot, and who came to 
the rescue with his whip. Urged by their bloodthirsty instinct, the Weasels all directed their 
efforts to the throat, and made their attacks in such rapid succession that their opponent 
was solely occupied in tearing away the active little creatures and flinging them on the 
ground, without being permitted the necessary leisure for killing or maiming his pertinacious 
antagonists. 
It seems that the Weasels will unite their forces for the purposes of sport as well as for 
those of attack, and will hunt down their game in regular form. Not long ago, as a gentleman 
was walking in the fields, he saw a number of small objects moving in a line, which he at first 
took for partridges, but which turned out to be Weasels, which were evidently following the 
track of some animal by its scent. Having his gun with him, he fired, and found that he had 
shot no less than six Weasels which had brought themselves into a line with the gun. 
A most curious example of mingled courage and presence of mind displayed by this 
animal is related by Mr. Bell in his History of British Quadrupeds. 
As a gen^man was riding over his grounds, he saw a kite pounce upon some object and 
carry it from the ground. In a short time the kite showed symptoms of uneasiness, trying to 
free itself from some annoying object by means of its talons, and flapping about in a very 
bewildered manner. In a few minutes the kite fell dead to the earth, and when the spectator 
of the aerial combat approached, a Weasel ran away from the dead body of the bird, itself 
being apparently, uninjured. On examination of the kite’s body, it was found that the Weasel, 
which had been marked out for the Mte’s repast, had in its turn become the assailant, and had 
attacked the unprotected parts which lie beneath the wings. A considerable wound had been 
made in that spot, and the large blood-vessels torn through. 
The same writer relates a curious anecdote of the conduct of a Weasel towards a snake 
which was placed in the same box. The snake did not attempt to attack the Weasel, nor the 
Weasel the snake, both animals appearing equally unwilling to become the assailant. After 
a while, the Weasel bit the snake once or twice near the nose, but not with any degree of 
violence, and as the two creatures appeared to be indifferent to each other, the snake was 
removed. That tMs peaceable demeanor on the part of the Weasel was not owing to any 
sluggishness on its own part, was made sufficiently evident by the fact that when a mouse was 
introduced into the same box, the Weasel immediately issued from its comer, and with a 
single bite laid the mouse dead. The experiment was made for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether the Weasel would kill and eat a snake, wMch had been asserted to be the case. 
The fondness of the Weasel for frogs has already been recorded. A curious instance of 
the nonchalant manner in which the Weasel will sometimes gratify this predilection, occurred 
