446 
THE WEASEL. 
fifteen inches long, is of the same size 
throughout; and this, with the shortness of 
the limbs, gives it considerable resemblance 
to the snake. Its colour is brownish red 
above and yellowish white underneath, 
having the tail of the same colour as the 
upper parts. It is a very shy and suspicious 
animal; and its watchfulness and caution 
have given rise to the popular proverb, 
‘ Catch a weasel asleep.’ Notwithstanding 
this caution, however, it is as brave as a 
lion, seizing by the throat animals much 
larger than itself and keeping its hold till 
its prey drops from exhaustion. In defence 
of its nest and young it fiies without hesi¬ 
tation at dogs and even at men; and stories 
have been told of troops of weasels in soli¬ 
tary places attacking and even killing those 
who ventured into their haunts ; but these 
tales are probably greatly exaggerated. It 
destroys multitudes of rats, mice and moles, 
small birds and chickens, and sucks eggs 
with great relish. The sloat or ermine is a 
variety of the ^veasel and hardly to be dis¬ 
tinguished from it, except from its greater 
size and its turning white in winter. When 
brown, it is called the sloat,—when white, 
