on and sucks the blood like a leech. Others maintain that the first bite is always fatal, owing to the perforation of the spinal cord at the base of the skull. In the case of young rats and mice killed by the Weasel, this is doubtless true; their skulls are so thin that they may be easily crushed between the finger and thumb; but in the case of a larger animal like the Rabbit it is otherwise.

Some years ago Dr. Buchanan, of Glasgow University, contributed to the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History' a paper "On the Wound of the Ferret,' in which he showed that while small animals were killed by the brain being pierced, larger victims died rather from nervous exhaustion, and in no case was any blood-sucking observable. Mr. S. Woodcock, of Bury, also, writing in 'The Field' of Dec. 27, 1862, expressed a similar opinion, his experiments proving that the assailant does not retain his first grip as has been so often stated, but worries and tugs at the head and neck, so that the cause of death seems to be exhaustion and shock to the nervous system rather than the effect of any mortal wound. The late Mr. E. R. Alston examined a young Rabbit which had been rescued alive from a Stoat. No external injuries were visible, save slight blood-stains on the head and neck; but the poor beast was in a semi-torpid state, sitting with its eyes half closed and its head twisted to the left side. On being pushed, it moved one step in a helpless mechanical way, and then remained motionless again. Post mortem dissection disclosed a large quantity of clotted blood beneath the skin, and on this being removed the skull was found to be fractured in several places, and pressed in on the brain in a way which fully accounted for the powerless and stupefied condition of the animal.

After the prey is killed, the first tit-bit is usually the neck; sometimes the eyes are torn out and devoured; and then the carcase is dragged off and concealed near the habitation of the destroyer. The power which the Weasel has of bending the head at right angles with the long and flexible yet powerful neck, gives it, as Bell has remarked, great advantage in the mode of seizing and killing its prey. It also frequently assumes this position when raising itself on its hinder legs to look round-a very characteristic attitude, which has been well depicted by Mr. G. E. Lodge in the accompanying illustration (Plate II.)

It should be observed that the Weasel is a much smaller animal than the Stoat, averaging 7 in. or 8 in. in length, exclusive of the tail, which is about 2 in., as against 9 in. or 10 in. for the sexes of the Stoat, which has a tail of 5 or 6 in. invariably terminating at all seasons in a black tuft.

Weasels and Stoats hunt in family parties, and sometimes even in little packs, like hounds. The late Mr. E. T. Booth, in 'The Field' of 6th Oct., 1883, gave a most graphic description of an encounter which he once had in East Lothian with a pack of Stoats which attacked a terrier he had with him, and of which, with the aid of the dog and his breechloader, he killed a dozen or fourteen.

Richard Jefferies also, in his 'Gamekeeper at Home' (p. 121), has written from personal observation as follows:

"Weasels frequently hunt in couples, and sometimes more than two will work together. I once saw five, and have known of eight. The five I saw were working a sandy bank drilled with holes, from which the rabbits in wild alarm were darting in all directions. The Weasels raced from hole to hole, and along the sides of the bank, exactly like a pack of hounds, and seemed intensely excited. To see their reddish heads thrust for a moment from the holes, then withdrawn to reappear at another, would have been amusing, had it not been for the reflection that their frisky tricks would assuredly end in death. They ran their quarry out of the bank and into a wood, where I lost sight of them. The pack of eight was seen by a labourer returning down a woodland land from work one afternoon. He told me he got into the ditch, half from curiosity, to watch them, and half from fear-laughable as that may seem-for he had heard the old people tell stories of men (in the days when the corn was kept for years in barns and so bred hundreds of rats) being attacked by these vicious little brutes. He said they made a noise, crying to each other, short snappy sounds; but the pack of five I myself saw, hunted in silence."*

The female Weasel is smaller than the male, and is no doubt "the little reddish beast not much bigger than a field-mouse but

*Other instances of Weasels hunting in packs might be quoted on good authority. See Atkinson, Zoologist,' 1844, p. 490; Shand, 'The Field,' 21st July, 1891; and Witchell, 'Fauna of Gloucestershire,' 1892, p. 20.

longer," which Gilbert White mentions as being called a cane * by the country people in Hampshire.

There seems to be a great disparity in the relative numbers of the sexes, or else the female is better able to take care of herself; perhaps her smaller size favours her concealment. However that may be, most keepers assert that they trap and kill many more males than females. It is stated by Bell, in his 'British Quadrupeds' (2nd ed., p. 187), that two or three litters are annually produced, but this appears doubtful, for, so far as we are aware, there is no evidence on record to prove that any of our native Carnivora breed more than once in the year.† The young, from four to six in number, are to be found in what may well be termed a nest, for it is generally a hole in a bank or treeroot, or in a stone or wall, lined with dry grass or leaves. The period of gestation is presumably the same as in the Polecat and Ferret, namely six weeks; but we do not know whether this has been definitely ascertained by keeping a pair in captivity. 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. If the young are discovered before they are able to take care of themselves, the old one will defend them, and will courageously fly at the nose of any dog who presumes to look in upon them.

There is no reason why Weasels should not be kept in cages like Squirrels, for they make most amusing pets. They are extremely playful, and although at first their natural timidity causes them to hide a good deal, they gradually get over this

* Cane, a little dog, cognate with canis. In Surrey it is called Kine. In East Sussex it is known as Beale; in Yorkshire, Ressel or Rezzel; in Norfolk, Mouse-hunter; in East Suffolk, Whitethroat (male) and Mousehunt (female). Gilbert White, also, has another observation on this animal which is worth quoting. In his fortieth letter to Pennant, he writes:"Weasels prey on Moles, as appears by their being sometimes caught in Mole-traps." The fact of their being caught in Mole-traps is vouched for by more recent writers (see, for instance, 'The Field' of 25th March and 8th April, 1882), but it is possible that the Weasel might be merely following the Field-mice which make use of the Moles' runs.

Dr. Ritzema Bos, in his Tierische Schädlinge und Nützlinge für Ackerbau,' states that in years when field-mice are exceptionally abundant, there appears to be a second litter of young Weasels in the early autumn months.

shyness, and will come when called to take food from the hand. Their activity is surprising, and their movements are sometimes so rapid that the eye can scarcely follow them. This is especially the case when a Weasel is surprised in the open and chased by a terrier. If brought to bay they fight pluckily, and will hang on to the nose or lips of a dog with the tenacity of a terrier. Like Stoats they can climb well, and have often been seen to ascend trees many feet from the ground; and this not only when chased by an enemy, but from choice when in pursuit of prey. A Weasel has been found in a tree twelve feet from the ground, and has been even known to make its nest in a hollow tree. seen to jump from the top of a limestone pit into some water thirty or forty feet below, and swim acrose the pool. For both Weasels and Stoats can swim well; we have often seen them crossing a pool voluntarily. Sometimes they would carry a young one across, sometimes a dead field-mouse, holding it in the mouth as a cat would carry a kitten. On one occasion a Weasel was observed to cross a river at high-tide, where the water was fifty or sixty yards wide.

One was

The Weasel, like the Squirrel, will catch small birds when he can take them by surprise, and will carry off eggs between his chin and fore paws, just as a rat will do. But his favourite and natural food consists of field mice, Mus sylvatica, in the woods. and hedgerows, Mus musculus about the stacks and farmyards, and Arvicola agrestis in the open fields and pastures; while he will not hesitate to attack a rat, even if larger than himself, should occasion arise. So frequently have we witnessed his pertinacity in mouse-hunting that, on this score alone, we should be inclined to forgive him for carrying off a chicken. We would even go a step further. We have known stack-yards in which Weasels were repeatedly seen and left unmolested. Hens with chickens were daily pecking about the yard, but no chickens were missed. It appeared that, so long as the Weasels could get mice and rats, they preferred fur to feather. The late Mr. R. F. Tomes, of Welford-on-Avon, once kept watch from a place of concealment upon a nest of young Weasels, and saw the parent bring, in a little more than an hour, five field mice for her young, which were playing in and out of the hole. On her arrival with the fifth, he shouted and made her drop it, when, on picking it up for examination, he found it to be the Short-tailed Field Vole, Arvicola agrestis.

The utility of the Weasel in checking the devastation of field mice was never more clearly established than by the evidence which was tendered to the Committee appointed by the Board of Agriculture to enquire into the plague of Field Voles in Scotland in 1892.* In the Minutes of Evidence appended to the Report of this Committee issued in 1893, will be found numerous statements, elicited by cross-examination of the witnesses, which tend to prove beyond doubt that the Weasel is the natural enemy of field mice, and that no greater mistake could be made than to destroy Weasels where mice or voles are numerous, and are likely to become a plague.

(To be continued.)

NOTES AND QUERIES.

MAMMALIA.

Marten in Co. Westmeath.-Referring to your article on the "Marten in Ireland," in The Zoologist' for March last, you may be glad to know that I have found an entry in an old Game-book which has been kept at this house since the year 1814, to the effect that a Pine Marten was killed at Knock-Drin in the winter of 1845-46. The exact date is not specified; but it was on some day between October 23rd, 1845, and January 3rd, 1846.-H. C. LEVINGE (Knock-Drin Castle, Mullingar).

Dimensions of Otter.-I have read with much interest your articles on the Otter, Lutra vulgaris, which have appeared in The Zoologist,' and I have noted particularly your remarks on the size and gestation of the same. I have in my possession a dog Otter, which measures from tip of nose to tip of tail 56 inches. It was killed on the River Derwent, below Cockermouth, about forty years ago, by a man named Thursby, from whose daughter I purchased it. Anyone who would like to see it can do so by calling at my address.-JOHN R. DENWOOD (Kirkgate, Cockermouth).

Serotine Bat in Essex.-Nearly eleven years ago I had the pleasure of recording, for the first time in this county, the occurrence of the Serotine Bat (Zool. 1883, p. 173, and Proc. Essex Field Club, vol. iv., p. iv). Since that time the species has not again been met with in Essex, and the record still stands as the most northerly occurrence of the species in Britain. I am glad therefore to be able to add that, about 1 a.m. on Aug. 25th last, a fine

* See 'The Zoologist,' 1893, pp. 121–138.