340 THE PRICE OF LIVE STOCK. 



have been greater by reason of the extraordinary drought which 

 characterized the autumn and summer of 1361-2 l . 



Besides the poultry tabulated in the general accounts of the 

 price of stock, our forefathers kept swans and peacocks. A few 

 entries of the former are found in vol. ii. p. 270, and an- 

 other sale may be found in p. 597. ii. The average price from 

 twenty entries up to 1352 J y. 9?^j but on two occasions, 

 that is, during and just after the first famine, the prices paid, 

 8s. and 7*., are excessively high, even though in the former 

 case the bailiff gives as a reason for selling, that he was 

 afraid of their being stolen ; as he well might during the 

 dearth of that terrible year. Another entry, omitted from the 

 second volume, gives two at Odiham in the year 1324 at 3*. 

 each. After the year 1352 the average price of six entries 

 is y. i of*/., but some of the swans are described as cygnets. 

 The twenty swans purchased at the Determination Feast (vol. ii. 

 p. 644) cost 4*. apiece. These birds are cooped and fed on 

 oats and peas. Peacocks are bought at is. in 1278, and at 5*. 

 in 1395. 



Among the sundry articles of which account is taken towards 

 the conclusion of the second volume, will be found rabbits k . 

 These animals are so dear, as to suggest, either that they 

 were at this time confined to particular localities, from which 

 they have subsequently spread over the whole country (a view 

 which seems to be countenanced by the fact that the price 

 does not increase in the later part of the period), or that they 

 were, which we can hardly believe, rigorously and effectually 

 protected in the interest of the great landowners. But with 

 prices of other articles of consumption rated at the amounts 

 we have seen, it is hard to understand, except on the hypo- 

 thesis that rabbits were scarce, had been but lately introduced 

 into the country, and were confined to very narrow limits or 

 to particular properties, how they were sold at 5^. each in 

 1270, and from $d. to \\d. afterwards. The Eastwood rabbits 

 of 1365 are certainly cheaper than those bought at earlier 



1 Vol. ii. p. 607. ii. k Vol. ii. pp. 558-9, 



