MAMMALS 



them, and her own Whelps being taken away, 

 she suckled a Litter of Puppies that had been 

 put to her. And hereunto I may fitly add, 

 that at Aston, in 1699, was a Bitch half a 

 Beagle and a great Hunter of Rabbets, who 

 notwithstanding suckled a Nest of young Rab- 

 bets together with a Puppy of her own.' 



16. Pine Marten. Muitela martei, Linn. 



Bell — Martes ab'ietum. 

 Until June of 1896 I was afraid that there 

 was no available record of this species in the 

 county ; however, my good fortune made me 

 acquainted with Mr. Tyrrel, an old man of 

 eighty, who was bailiff and keeper at Pipwell 

 Abbey till lately. I found him in his trim 

 little garden on the estate, and quite willing 

 to give me any information in his power. 

 * Yes, he knew the marten cat,' pointing to 

 a spinney close by, ' and he had killed one 

 there fifty years ago, and had sent it to Carlton 

 Hall.' 



17. Polecat. Putorius putorius, hinn. 



Bell — Mustek putorius. 

 This animal, if not extinct in the county, 

 is on the verge of becoming so. I have, how- 

 ever, several interesting records. Morton does 

 not mention it, though it must have been far 

 from rare in his time. The late Mr. R. 

 Rogers of Castle Ashby, near Northampton, 

 once wrote to me : ' I can remember hearing 

 my grandfather relate the incidents of a most 

 exciting chase which he and his men had after 

 a fitchet at Round Hay Farm, Yardley Hast- 

 ings. It had visited his poultry yards, killing 

 several chickens. As near as I can remember 

 the date would be about 1866-70. Some few 

 years later, 1870—80, another polecat was 

 seen near to Castle Ashby fish-ponds.' Mr. 

 Bazeley of Horsemarket, Northampton, says 

 his father told him that fifty years ago he saw 

 a couple of polecats and young ones playing 

 in a thicket at Pattishall. Mr. Tyrrel of 

 Pipwell told me that the last that he knew 

 of were two which he killed on the estate 

 twenty-five years ago. One was caught alive 

 on the Lilford estate in 1869. Mr. Tye of 

 Northampton has in his possession the skull 

 of a polecat that was given him some fifteen 

 years ago by a keeper from Whittlebury 

 Forest, but unfortunately details of exact 

 locality are missing. Mr. C. E. Wright of 

 Kettering has a record of one being killed 

 about 1882, at Geddington Chase, by F. 

 Wright, the gamekeeper. It was given to 

 the late Mr. W. Lewen of Geddington. 

 Mr. C. E. Wright also informs me that 

 about 1882 he saw three or more polecats 

 on a ' keeper's gallows ' at Boughton Park. 



In the Zoologist, August, 1891, there is a 

 notice of a polecat having been killed at 

 Aynhoe. Mr. W. Tomalin of Northamp- 

 ton tells me that he saw a polecat at Elton, 

 near Warmington, and found some young 

 wood-pigeons killed by it in a nest in a tree. 

 A trap was set, but without effect. Between 

 1850-54 Mr. Tomalin shot two polecats 

 down the Houghton Brook, one of which, 

 now stuffed, is in the Northampton Museum. 

 It jumped out of an ash tree into the brook, 

 where his fox terrier caught it and killed it. 



18. Common Stoat. Putorius ermineus, Linn. 



Bell — Mustela erminea. 

 Abundant. Mr. C. E. Wright of Ketter- 

 ing has a pair of stuffed stoats all white ex- 

 cept the ears and tips of the tails. They were 

 seen hunting a water-rat at Barton Seagrave, 

 and eventually caught it. They did not hesi- 

 tate to take to the water (March 28th, 1894). 

 Also the same keen observer records another 

 couple all white, except the ears and tips of 

 the tails, in Weekley Hall Wood. 



1 9. Weasel. Putorius nivalis, Linn. 



Bell — Mustela vulgaris. 

 This animal occurs plentifully in the 

 county. It is rightly encouraged by intel- 

 ligent farmers, as it does wonders in clearing 

 the farms of rats and mice. 



20. Badger. Meles meles, Linn. 



Bell — Meles ta.xus. 

 Badgers are known to occur in many places, 

 and are generally left undisturbed until ^hey 

 fall under the suspicion of depredations, which 

 should often be rather laid to the charge of 

 the fox. Three years ago a very large one 

 with two young ones was caught at Grendon. 

 It was charged with worrying some lambs. 

 At Billing Lings there used to be an ' earth.' 

 There are said to be three pairs in Weekley 

 Hall Wood and a pair in Grafton Wood. 

 They were found to be very effective in 

 destroying wasps' nests, and some of the young 

 were sent to Buccleugh, in Scotland, to per- 

 form the same office. They also occur in Har- 

 Icston Firs, Wootton Park, Nobottle Wood, 

 and probably in several other places. 



21. Otter. Lutra lutra, Linn. 



Bell — Lutra vulgaris. 

 Our rivers are so suitable for the otter, that 

 in all probability the animal is more plentiful 

 than is generally supposed. The numerous 

 dead fish which are discovered with the 

 shoulders eaten may probably be accounted 

 for by them. One was killed (1896) in 

 Brigstock Park. 



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