Difficulty of identifying the Weasel of Scripture—The Weasel of Palestine—Suggested identity with the Ichneumon.

The word Weasel occurs once in the Holy Scriptures, and therefore it is necessary that the animal should be mentioned. There is a great controversy respecting the identification of the animal, inasmuch as there is nothing in the context which gives the slightest indication of its appearance or habits.

The passage in question is that which prohibits the Weasel and the mouse as unclean animals (see Lev. xi. 29). Now the word which is here translated Weasel is Choled, or Chol'd; and, I believe, never occurs again in the whole of the Old Testament. Mr. W. Houghton conjectures that the Hebrew word Choled is identical with the Arabic Chuld and the Syriac Chuldo, both words signifying a mole; and therefore infers that the unclean animal in question is not a Weasel, but a kind of mole.

The Weasel does exist in Palestine, and seems to be as plentiful there as in our own country. Indeed, the whole tribe of Weasels is well represented, and the polecat is seen there as well as the Weasel.

There is hardly any animal which, for its size, is so much dreaded by the creatures on which it preys as the common Weasel.

Although its small proportions render a single Weasel an insignificant opponent to man or dog, yet it can wage a sharp battle even with such powerful foes, and refuses to yield except at the last necessity.

The proportions of the Weasel are extremely small, a full-grown male not exceeding ten inches in length. The color of its fur is bright reddish-brown on the upper parts of the body, and the under-portions are pure white. The audacity and courage of this little animal are really remarkable. It seems to hold every being except itself in the most sovereign contempt, and, to all appearances, is as ready to match itself against a man as against a mouse.

It is a terrible foe to many of the smaller animals, such as rats and mice, and performs a really good service to the farmer in destroying many of these farmyard pests. The Weasel is specially dreaded by rats and mice, because there is no hole through which they can pass that will not also admit the passage of their enemy; and, as the Weasel is most persevering and determined in pursuit, it seldom happens that rats or mice escape when their little foe has set itself fairly on their track.

Not only does the Weasel pursue its prey through the windings of the burrows, but it will even cross water in the chase. When it has at last reached its victim, it leaps upon the devoted creature and endeavours to fix its teeth in the back of the neck, where it retains its deadly hold in spite of every struggle on the part of the wounded animal. If the attack be rightly made and the animal a small one, the Weasel can drive its teeth into the brain and cause instantaneous death.

The Weasel is very fond of eggs, and young birds of all kinds. It is said that an egg that has been broken by a Weasel, can always be recognized, by the peculiar mode which the little creature employs for the purpose.

Instead of breaking the egg to pieces or biting a large hole in the shell, the Weasel contents itself with making quite a small aperture at one end, through which it abstracts the liquid contents.

A curious example of the courage of the Weasel, is related by a gentleman who while crossing a field at dusk, saw an owl pounce upon some object on the ground, and carry it in the air.

In a short time the bird showed signs of distress, trying to free itself from some annoying object by means of its talons, and flapping about in a very bewildered manner.

Soon afterwards the owl fell dead to the earth; and when the spectator of the aËrial combat approached, a weasel ran away from the dead body of the bird, itself being apparently uninjured. On examination of the owl's body, it was found that the Weasel, which had been marked out for the owl's repast, had in its turn become the assailant, and had attacked the unprotected parts which lie beneath the wings. A considerable wound had been made in that spot, and the large blood-vessels torn through.