MAMMALS 



From the marsh-land and rivers, the open country and thickly 

 wooded vales of Kent is recorded nearly every recognized species 

 of British mammal. The wild cat {Felis catus) has been extinct in 

 this county for many years, and although there is no doubt that it 

 existed here at one period, there seems to be no records of its appear- 

 ance that can be relied upon except that of its fossilized remains 

 found at Ightham/ There are old keepers who assert that they have 

 themselves caught it in years gone by, which is very likely to be 

 true, but their assertions cannot be accepted as records. The pine mar- 

 ten {Miistela martes) is another extinct species which certainly existed 

 in considerable numbers about loo years ago, and there are many 

 reputed instances of its occurrence about 40 years ago, but they are 

 unauthenticated. The polecat [Putorius putorius) is probably now ex- 

 tinct, but it existed a few years ago. The badger [Meles meles) is rarely 

 met with, but it still exists and is preserved in one or two places in the 

 county. The pigmy shrew (Sorex miniitus) and the harvest mouse {Mus 

 minutus) appear to be decreasing in numbers. A variety of the weasel 

 [Putorius nivalis) is found in Kent, which differs from the typical animal 

 in its marking, size and habits; it is interesting to note that Gilbert 

 White draws attention to it in his Natural History oj Selhorne.^ 



The Thames and Medway' are occasionally visited by the common 

 seal {Phoca vitulina), and the dolphin [Delphinus delphis). A specimen 

 of Rudolphi's rorqual [Balaenoptera borealis) was taken from the Thames 

 at Tilbury on 19 October 1887, which measured 35 ft. 4 in.* and 

 another measuring 32 ft. 2 in. was caught at Gillingham on 30 August 

 1888 and described by Mr. Walter Crouch in the Rochester Naturalist. 



Other records of Cetaceans will be found in Dr. J. Murie's Report on 

 the Kent and Essex Fisheries, published in 1903. Information concerning 

 specimens preserved in the British Museum has been supplied by Mr. 

 Boulenger. 



CHEIROPTERA ° 



I. Greater Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophus 2. Lesser Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophui 



ferrum-equinum, Schreber. hipfosiderus, Bechstein. 



Occasionally seen in the county, fre- Recorded from Canterbury Cathedral. 



quenting some of the old buildings such as There is a specimen in the Maidstone Museum 



Rochester Castle and Chalk Church. presented by H. Lamb, marked ' Maidstone, 



1892.' 



1 Lydekker, British Mammals. ^ Letter XV. Selborne, March 30, 1 768. 



3 Fielding, Memories of Mailing. ' Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1SS7, 567. 



5 Flirtermice is the local term applied to all bats. 

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