The Weasel 59 
Europe they are very numerous. Mice of every descrip- 
tion, the field and the water-vole, rats, moles, and small 
birds, are their ordinary food, and occasionally rabbits 
and partridges. When driven by hunger, it will boldly 
attack the poultry-yard. The Weasel, when it enters a 
hen roost, never meddles with the cocks or old hens, but 
makes choice of the pullets and young chickens ; these 
it kills with a single stroke on the head, and carries 
away one after the other. It sucks the e^gs with 
avidity, making a small hole at one end, through which 
it draws out the yolk. In winter it resides in granaries 
and hay-lofts, and in summer chooses the low lands 
about the mills and streams, where it hides among the 
bushes, and in the hollows of old trees. 
It was formerly supposed that the W r easel was un- 
tamable ; but Bulfon, in a supplementary volume, cor- 
rects this error, and from a letter of a female correspond- 
ent, shows that it may be rendered as familiar as a cat 
or a lapdog. It frequently eat from his correspondent's 
hand, and seemed fonder of milk and fresh meat than of 
any other food. "If I present my hands," says this 
lady, " at the distance of three feet, it jumps into them 
without ever missing. It shows a great deal of address 
and cunning, in order to accomplish its ends, and seems 
to disobey certain prohibitions merely through caprice. 
During all its actions it seems solicitous to divert and 
be noticed, looking at every jump and at every turn to 
see whether it be observed or not. If no notice be 
taken of its gambols, it ceases them immediately, and 
betakes itself to sleep; and when awaked from the 
soundest sleep, it instantly resumes its gaiety, and frolics 
about in as sprightly a manner as before. It never 
shows any ill humour, unless when confined or too much 
teased, in which case it expresses its displeasure by a 
sort of murmur, very different from that wmch it utters 
when pleased." 
Weasels and ferrets are used by rat-catchers to drive 
the rats out of their holes ; and they kill a great many, 
the habit of the Weasel being to kill its prey by biting 
the head, so that the teeth penetrate the brain, and then 
to throw the body aside, or hide it till a future period. 
