A RAT'S ENEMIES
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sis,—In your issue of March 30th Sir William Beach Thomas states that there is no evidence of such an unlikely combat as one between a weasel and a rat. I happen to be able to give some first-hand evidence on the subject. Many years ago, near Aber in North Wales, I witnessed an encounter to the death between the two- animals in question. Though much the larger of the two, the rat, despite his utmost struggles, was quite unable to free himself from the relentless grip of his tiny antagonist, and there was but one possible ending to the fight. Though it happened over fifty years ago I have a vivid memory of the occurrence, and I have always since had a rather kindly feeling towards the weasel.
It is true this has recently been somewhat modified. Two years ago the young pheasants in the rearing field began to disappear mysteriously, there being no outward and visible sign of any hostile beast or bird of prey. My keeper ulti- mately discovered that the enemy consisted of a pair of weasels, which had their home in niole runs in the immediate vicinity of the coops: Into these they dragged their victims, leaving but small traces behind them. He estimates they had well over a hundred before he got the chance of shooting them.. Now, rather than trust to the weasels for the exter- mination of the rats, he prefers to regard both as unrecon-
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