NATURAL HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. 51 



sport for our hunting gentry and the greatest 

 annoyance to owners of poultry. Foxes are 

 plentiful in Maristow and Warleigh woods, and 

 in the vicinity of Yealmpton. 

 We are not infested by the only British ani- 

 mal of the Genus, Felis, the wild cat : (Felis 

 . Catus Ferus) which seems indeed confined to 

 Wales and Scotland, and is four times the size 

 of the domesticated variety. What are termed 

 wild cats, in this neighbourhood, are only the 

 offspring of our tamed animal, but which have 

 a great tendency to return to their former state 

 of liberty. 



Genus, Mustela, or Weasels. 



Sp. 6. Must. Foina, Common Martin, or Martern Cat, 

 is occasionally observed in the woody parts of 

 this country, and is either shot by the game- 

 keepers or used to teach dogs to hunt. 

 The Pine ]\Jartin appears to be peculiar to 

 Wales and Scotland. 



Sp. 7. Must. Putorius, Polecat or Fitchet, is more 

 common than the Martin, and, being very des- 

 tructive to game, is systematically ensnared by 

 gamekeepers and others. 



Sp. 8. Must. Vulgaris, or Common Weasel, is taken, 

 in great numbers, in traps constructed for the 

 purpose. 



Sp. 9. Must. Erminea, or Stoat, is equally common 

 with the last, and is much destroyed. Rarely 

 we see or hear of specimens, in their winter 

 clothing of white or pied fur. 



Sp. 10. Must. Lutra, or Otter, has, by recent authori- 

 ties, been very properly removed from this 

 Linncan Genus. It is an animal more frequent 

 on the sea coast than about our rivers. Per- 

 sons, fond of the sport, visit the rocks at Bovi- 

 sand, Whitsand, &c., during the summer, and, 

 by means of small but spirited dogs, drive the 

 otters from their holes and then shoot them. 

 Sometimes also those who keep hounds pursue 

 them in the vicinity of rivers. The fish ponds 



