STOATS AND WEASELS.

Oxford Observer, Volume V, Issue V, 12 May 1894, Page 3

STOATS AND WEASELS.

Sir, — Yoar remarks ou the above interesting little creatures is certainly not very encouraging and really deserves serious consideration. I have one of the specimens killed by Mr Me Grath> before me and I should take it to be a weasel and the weasels ( at least m England ) do not bear quite as bad a character as you have given them. Their quarry rarely exceeding anything larger than a rat, rats and mice being their natural food, and it may be that Mr Me Grath has killed his best friends the number of rats and mice that a pair of weasels with a litter of young would destroy m a day is very great, especially if they take up their abode near a stack of corn, as they kill a great many more* than they can consume, this should fully compensate for an occasional chicken if tempted that way. The Stoat is a larger animal by 3 or 4 inches and has a rather bu?hy tail the end being tipped with black and its coat m whiter m tmany localities is white and m commerce is called ' ermine ' the stoat and ermine being one and, the. same animal. V It is a terrible enemy to rats and mice, and ; hares and rabbits, and is a desperate hunter, even hunting m packs, it is said the hare becomes paralized at the sight. of a stoat and falls an easy victim to the terrible teeth of the stoat. The specimen I have is very much knocked about and partly decomposed, but if possible I will stuff it and by the kind permission of Mr >- Ingram will place it m the local Saleroom, that any interested may see it - lain &c. - A. Barrows.