APPENDIX 257 



Otter. The Forest Laws give the season as from 

 Shrove Tide (Feb. 22) to Midsummer (June 24), but 

 we find that in King John's reign the otter was hunted 

 in July (Close Rolls 14 John L). 



Martin J badger^ and rabbit were hunted at all seasons 

 of the year. 



SNARES. No work dealing with the chase of wild 

 animals in mediaeval times would be complete were it to 

 omit all reference to snares, traps, gins, pitfalls, and other 

 devices to take game other than by hunting. The 

 "Master of Game" mentions the subject but briefly, 

 saying, " Truly I trow no good hunter would slay them 

 so for no good," but " Gaston Phœbus " contains seven- 

 teen short chapters in which the author as well as the 

 miniaturist describe the various contrivances then in 

 use, although the same disdain of these unsportsmanlike 

 methods is expressed by G. de F. that marks the Duke 

 of York's pages. In the first edition of the present 

 work will be found descriptions of the principal snares 

 used in the Middle Ages. 



SPANIEL. It is difficult to say at what date these 

 dogs were first introduced into our country ; we only 

 know that by the second half of the sixteenth century 

 spaniels were a common dog in England. In Dr. Caius's 

 time the breed was " in full being." He mentions land 

 spaniels, setters, and water spaniels, besides the small 

 spaniels which were kept as pet and lap dogs. That the 

 breed was not then a recent importation we may infer 

 from the fact that, when speaking of the water spaniel 

 and giving the derivation of the name. Dr. Caius says : 

 " Not that England wanted suche kinde of dogges (for 

 they are naturally bred and ingendered in this country). 

 But because they beare the general and common name 

 of these dogs synce the time when they were first brought 

 over out of Spaine," 



The chapter in the " Master of Game " on this dog, 



R 



