34. 
Pine Mouse is injurious to the Irish and Sweet potato crops, causing more 
to rot by nibbling holes in them than it consumes, and Wilson’s Meadow- 
mouse lessens our annual product of hay by feeding on the grasses, and 
by its long, tortuous galleries among their roots. 
‘“ Wherever an Ermine has taken up its residence, the mice in its 
vicinity for half a mile around have been found rapidly to diminish in 
number. Their active enemy is able to force its thin, uniform body into 
burrows; it follows them to the end of their galleries, and destroys whole 
families’ We have, on several occasions, after a light snow, followed the 
trail of this weasel through fields and meadows, and witnessed the im- 
mense destruction which it occasioned in a single night. It enters every 
hole under stumps, logs, stone-heaps and fences, and evidences of its 
bloody deeds are seen in the mutilated remains of the mice scattered on 
the snow. The little Chipping or Ground Squirrel, Tamias lysteri (sc. 
striatus) takes up its residence in the vicinity of the grain-fields, and is 
known to carry off in its cheek-pouches vast quantities of wheat and 
buckwheat to serve as winter stores. The Ermine instinctively discovers 
these snug retreats, and, in the space of a few minutes, destroys a whole 
family of these beautiful little Tamix; without ever resting awhile until 
it has consumed its now abundant food, its appetite craving for more 
blood, as if impelled by an irresistable destiny, it proceeds in search of 
other objects on which it may glut its insatiable, vampire-like thirst. 
The Norway rat and the common house mouse take possession of our 
barns, wheat-stacks and granaries, and destroy vast quantities of grain. 
In some instances the farmer is reluctantly compelled to pay even more 
than a tithe in contributions towards the support of these pests. Let, 
however, an Ermine find its way into these barns and granaries, and 
there take up its winter residence, and the havoc which is made among 
the rats and mice will soon be observable. The Ermine pursues them to 
their farthest retreats, and in a few weeks the premises are entirely free 
from their depredations. We once placed a half domesticated Hrmine 
in an out-house, infested with rats, shutting up the holes on the outside 
to prevent their escape. The little animal soon commenced its work of 
destruction. The squeaking of the rats was heard throughout the day. 
In the evening it came out licking its mouth, and seemed like a hound 
after a long chase, much fatigued. A board of the floor was raised to 
enable us to ascertain the result of our experiment, and an immense 
number of rats were observed, which, although they had been killed in 
different parts of the building, had been dragged together, forming a 
compact heap. 
“The Ermine is, then, of immense benefit to the farmer. We are of 
