240 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
I have an extract taken from the diary of an old sportsman, 
still living, in his day as good a man as ever crossed Lincoln- 
shire :—* March 28, 1825. Met Sir Richard Sutton’s hounds (the 
Burton) at Newbold Common, near Wragby. Found and ran into 
a Marten-cat.” I have been told of a similar case when some 
years since the hounds ran down a Marten in Tumby Wood, near 
Horncastle, the little animal never attempting taking to a tree, 
but was fairly ‘‘run into.” 
Mr. Adrian, of Lincoln, recently told me that nineteen years 
ago, during the April Fair week, in one of his bird-nesting excur- 
sions, he was passing through Branston Booths Wood. There 
was a very large oak tree, the trunk and lower branches of which 
were completely shrouded in woodbine, forming a dense bushy 
retreat. On striking this, a Marten dashed out and was instantly 
at the tree top, where it sat behind a branch, with outstretched 
neck, peering down and intently watching every motion. His 
first shot cut the branch in two, and brought the Marten tumbling 
through the tree, wildly clutching at the branches and endea- 
youring to gain a fresh foothold. It struck the ground with such 
force that Mr. Adrian thought all life must be knocked out of it; 
but no such thing, the little animal was off in an instant through 
the dense undergrowth. Borrowing a farmer’s dog, he shortly 
returned to the place, and after a most exciting hunt succeeded in 
tracking it to a high tree on the opposite side of the wood, where 
a second shot and a worry from the dog ended its career. It was 
a fine old male, and the only Marten this indefatigable naturalist 
has seen alive during his many wanderings in our Lincolnshire 
woodlands. On May 7th, 1870, he had a Marten-cat sent him for 
preservation, taken in a wood near Horncastle; and in the spring 
of 1874 received four old ones, all from the same locality—a wood 
near Bardney. About four years ago he bought one from a 
carrier which was captured near Wragby. Since this he has only 
had one example, but neglected at the time to make a note of 
the locality and date. 
Since writing the above I have received further notes of 
occurrences of the Marten-cat in Lincolnshire extending over 
twenty years, the most recent relating to one captured about 
a year ago on the estate of Mr. Heneage, at Hainton, near 
Wragby. I may add that in every case in which I have 
Le 
