December, 1900.] 27«; 



THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE FOX FROM 



CO. ANTRIM. 



BY ROBERT PATTERSON, F.Z.S. 



By the kindness of the Earl of Antrim I have been permitted 

 to examine an old " Court I^eet " Book for the Manor of 

 Glenarm, and I have been much struck b}" the evidence 

 therein of the great numbers oi Foxes that formerly existed in 

 Co. Antrim. T-hinking that the information might be of 

 interest to readers of the Irish Naturalist, I have been at some 

 pains to decipher the faded — and often nearly illegible — 

 writing,* and now give a summary of the results. 



The '' Manor of Glenarm " extended from the town of I^arne 

 to Glendun River — practically what is known now as the 

 Baronies of Upper and Eower Glenarm — a narrow strip on the 

 extreme east of Co. Antrim, about 22 miles long b}^ about 

 6 miles average breadth. The Courts were held twice a year, 

 in spring and autumn, and the records in this volume begin 

 in 1765 and end in 1812. Passing over entries of purely 

 antiquarian and ornithological interest, we come upon in- 

 numerable records such as the following : — 



•^ 17th day of November, 1765. 



** We psent the Sum of one pound four shills to be 

 " Levyed ofif the inhabitants of the parish of Ardilenish and 

 " paid to Daniel McVicar for killing twelve foxes of prey. 



** We psent the Sum of one pound twelve shills to be 

 " Levyed off the inhabitants of parish of Laid and paid to 

 ** Daniel McVicar for killing sixteen foxes of prey. 



" We psent the Sum of two Shillings to be Eevyed off the 

 " inhabitants of the parish of Carncastle and paid to Thomas 

 *' Palmer for killing one old fox." 



Thus two shillings a head was the reward, whether the 

 animal was a " fox of prey," or merely an '* old fox." 



