VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF LEICESTERSHIRE. 165 
the spectator approached the combatants and separated them. 
Probably the first fox had invited his friend to dine, and the 
latter, thinking himself the victim of a hoax, endeavoured to be 
revenged on his friend by thrashing him. 
Family MusTEeLip&. 
Martes sylvatica, Nilsson. Pine Marten. — Possibly extinct. 
Harley says of this species (which he calls ‘“ Mustela foina”)— 
“Annually becoming rare. Occurred a few years since in the 
woods of Gopsall. The writer had an opportunity afforded some 
years since of examining a female and young of this species of 
Mustela which had been captured on Earl Howe’s estate, situate 
on the western side of the county. The occurrence of the Marten 
in the district around Leicester must therefore be considered rare 
and unusual. It affects decayed and hollow trees, in which it 
brings forth its young, and preys much on young birds and small 
Mammalia.” I can find no recent notices of its capture in Leices- 
tershire; there is, however, an old specimen in the Leicester 
Museum, supposed to be from Wellsborough ; and another 
specimen I had an opportunity of examining at Bradgate House 
is reported to have been killed at Bradgate many years since. 
Mr. R. Widdowson, of Melton Mowbray, writes :—‘‘ When I first 
came to reside in Melton I went over to Leicester several times, 
and used to call on a Mr. Pickard, a hairdresser, who lived in the 
little lane leading out of the market-place, just above the ‘White 
Swan’ Inn. He was a taxidermist also, and I well remember 
seeing some Martens which he had just stuffed, an adult female and 
two young ones, which, he told me, were killed a few miles away, 
I believe at Bradgate. He had the adult a long time, and used to 
exhibit it in his window; and was very fond of talking about it, 
declaring that it was brought to him alive. I also remember 
hearing that one was killed at Stapleford, but I did not see it, as 
it was years before I was employed by Lord Harborough.” 
Mustela putorius, Linn. Common Polecat. — Generally dis- 
tributed, but rare. Harley says—‘‘ Commonly diffused over the 
county. Met with most frequently in the more densely-wooded 
parts of it. Occurs not seldom in the vicinage of such woods as 
those of Oakley, Piper, Grace Dieu, and Gopsall.” Although I 
have heard of a few, I have not yet seen a Leicestershire specimen 
in the flesh; and my friend W. Ingram, of Belvoir, writes on 
