BEASTE8: DEER, OTTEES, BABBITS, ETC. 59 



by two pounds. Dr. Randal Caldicot told me that it was weighed at his house, and it weighed 

 eight score pounds. About the yeare 1650 there were in Verneditch-walke, which is a part of 

 Cranborne Chase, a thousand or twelve hundred fallow deere ; and now, 1689, there are not above 

 five hundred. A glover at Tysbury will give sixpence more for a buckskin of Cranborne Chase 

 than of Groveley ; and he saies that he can afford it. 



Clarendon Parke was the best parke in the King's dominions. Hunt and Palmer, keepers there, 

 did averre that they knew seven thousand head of deere in that parke ; all fallow deere. This 

 parke was seven miles about. Here were twenty coppices, and every one a mile round. 



Upon these disafforestations the marterns were utterly destroyed in North Wilts. It is a pretty 

 little beast and of a deep chesnutt colour, a kind of polecat, lesse than a fox ; and the furre is much 

 esteemed : not much inferior to sables. It is the richest furre of our nation. Martial saies of it 



" Venator capta marte superbus adest." Epigr. 



In Cranborn Chase and at Vernditch are some marterns still remaining. 



In Wiley river are otters, and perhaps in others. The otter is our English bever ; and Mr. 

 Meredith Lloyd saies that hi the river Tivy in Carmarthenshire there were real bevers heretofore 

 now extinct Dr. Powell, in Ms History of Wales, speakes of it. They are both alike ; fine furred, 

 and their tayles like a fish. (The otter hath a hairy round tail, not like the beavers. J. RAY.) 



I come now to warrens. That at Auburn is our famous coney-warren ; and the conies there are 

 the best, sweetest, and fattest of any in England ; a short, thick coney, and exceeding fatt. The 

 grasse there is very short, and burnt up in the hot weather. 'Tis a saying, that conies doe love 

 rost-meat 



Mr. Wace's notes, p. 62. " We have no wild boares in England : yet it may be thought that 

 heretofore we had, and did not think it convenient to preserve this game." But King Charles I. sent 

 for some eut of France, and putt them in the New Forest, where they much encreased, and became 

 terrible to the travellers. In the civill warrcs they were destroyed, but they have tainted all the 

 breed of the pigges of the neighbouring partes, which are of then- colour ; a kind of soot colour. 



(There were wild boars in a forest in Essex formerly. I sent a Portugal boar and sow to Wotton 

 in Surrey, which greatly increased ; but they digged the earth so up, and did such spoyle, that the 

 country would not endure it : but they made incomparable bacon. J. EVELYN.) 



In warrens are found, but rarely, some old stotes, quite white : that is, they are ermins. My 

 keeper of Vernditch warren hath shewn two or three of them to me. 



At Everley is a great warren for hares ; and also in Bishopston parish neer Wilton is another, 

 where the standing is to see the race; and an . 1682 the Right Hon ble James, Earle of Abingdon, 

 made another at West Lavington. 



Having done now with beastes of venerum, I will come to dogges. The British dogges were in 

 great esteeme in the tune of the Romans ; as appeares by Gratius, who lived in Augustus Caesar's 



