of Leeds and its Vicinity. 383 



the Badger is ever found within our district, although I have 

 been informed to the contrary. It might probably many years 

 ago occur in some of the extensive woods which surround us ; 

 for though it is frequently baited, and specimens living and dead 

 offered annually for sale, these are all, I believe, brought from 

 the neighbourhood of Malton in the North Riding. The 

 Weasel, Stoat, and Polecat are tolerably frequent, more espe- 

 cially the two former ; for though the latter is by no means 

 scarce, still its geographical distribution upon the whole is 

 more circumscribed. But the Pine Marten or Common Mar- 

 ten (for it still appears a disputed point with some writers 

 whether they are specifically distinct) is rare with us. Two or 

 three have occurred within the last year ; one at Swillington 

 Bridge, another near Selby ; of a third example which came 

 under my notice, I could not trace the locality, but as it was 

 lying at the window of a bird preserver's shop, unskinned, 

 it had most probably been killed somewhere near. If the 

 specific character of the Pine Marten is really the yellow 

 breast, these specimens were all of that species; yet the 

 situation in which they were found would differ widely from 

 the reputed haunts of that animal, which is said to fre- 

 quent the pine woods of Scotland and other wild situations. 

 Those again which I have seen from the neighbourhood of 

 Ross-shire were considerably larger ; I should not hesitate to 

 say nearly double the size of ours. The Otter frequents 

 most of our streams and rivers and inland lakes : very large 

 individuals have been killed both in the Ayr and the Wharf. 

 At Killingbeck, near Leeds, where they used to breed an- 

 nually, but are now I believe extinct, I have tracked them du- 

 ring the day by their faeces, composed of the remains of fish 

 bones and scales, and also by their foot-marks in the mud; but 

 owing to their excessive shyness they would not pass by the 

 same path on the following day if the spot was much trodden. 

 From this place I obtained a young Otter, which I kept for 

 many weeks, and which became quite tame and the pet of the 

 family ; it followed the inmates of the house up and down 

 stairs like a puppy, and like the same animal expressed its 

 uneasiness when it lost any of them by squeaks, but exhibited 

 great signs of pleasure when played with, by romping or gal- 



