TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 104, 26 January 1935, Page 6

TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Eel and Weasel in Combat On my .way for au early morning swim in a bathing pool in the Wainui Stream, I heard a peculiiu' noise like something scratching gravel. I crept along toward the sound, and saw a most remarkable thing: it looked from where I was as if an eel was being dragged out of the stream by a weasel. 1 crept closer and found that, the eel had a good grip on the nose of the weasel, and was pulling and struggling to get the weasel into the water. The eel was about a foot out of the water. On looking along the eel's body, I found it had taken a purchase by its tail around a boulder, and was slowly and surely dragging the weasel toward the water, notwithstanding the desperate struggle of the weasel. The weasel was trying to get a firm foothold on the gravel, and uttering a low, mournful sound. The struggle went on for fully half an hour, the weasel putting up a great resistance as it neared the .water. I thought it time to interfere, so jumped up and shouted, thinking the eel would let go; but it tightened its grip, and the weasel, thinking it was attacked from the rear, lost its resistance. The eel gave a heave, dragged its enemy into the water, and swam under a log on the opposite bank. The weasel was still struggling when they passed out of sight. I told a friend about this, but he would hard'y believe it. until later he caught an ee! about 141 b. in weight with a full-sized weasel inside it.—H.M.R. (Wellington).

The above entry wins the prize this week.