was very much scattered about; and it was supposed
that, in the animal's attempting to carry off the booty, some of the
small parcels of provisions had fallen down into the heart of the pile,
and sooner than lose half his prize, he was at the trouble of pulling
away the wood. The bags of flour, oatmeal, and peas, though of no use
to him, he tore all to pieces, and scattered the contents about on the
snow; but every bit of animal food, consisting of beef, pork, bacon,
venison, salted geese, and partridges, in considerable quantities, he
carried away.

When attacked by other animals, the glutton fights desperately, and
three stout dogs are scarcely its match. A man who had tamed one of
them threw it one day into the water, and set a couple of dogs upon it,
when it immediately seized one of them by the head, and held it under
water till it was drowned.

THE WEASEL.

The weasel stands as the type of a large number of animals, such as the
marten, sable, polecat, otter, skunk, &c.; all being characterized by a
long body, short legs, and considerable energy of disposition. Some of
the species are celebrated for their abominable odor.

The weasel is an active, bloodthirsty little animal, not exceeding
seven inches in length from the nose to the tail. It is much about the
same size as a rat, though more slender; but it is a mortal enemy to
this animal, pursuing them to their holes, and killing them in great
numbers. It is also often fatal to the hare, as it will either creep
upon it when at rest, or, lying unseen amidst the rubbish or furze,
will spring at its throat; where, as in the case of other animals which
it kills, it fixes its bite, and then sucks the blood till its victim
expires. It makes a hole in the ends of eggs, and sucks the
contents--differently from the rat, which breaks the shell to pieces.
It is a destructive enemy to pigeons, as it creeps into the holes of a
dove-cot in the evening, and surprises its prey while they are asleep;
and, from the peculiar construction of its body, there are few
situations it is incapable of reaching; for it can clamber up an almost
perpendicular wall. When it sees a man, it endeavors as quickly as
possible to get out of the way, and hide itself amidst the grass or
loose stones; but if trodden on, or seized, it will turn and bite, like
a serpent. An ordinary dog does not wish to attack it, for it instantly
fastens itself on his lips.

_Miscellaneous Anecdotes._--Weasels see