MAMMALS 
INSECTIVORA 
7. Hedgehog. Erinaceus europeus, Linn. 
Fairly abundant generally, particularly in 
the northern half of the county. An albino 
female was taken in a trap at Wrest Park, 
Silsoe, in December 1878 (Field, also Zoolo- 
gist). 
8. Mole. Talpa europea, Linn. 
Very common. Varieties are occasionally 
obtained. One, orange-coloured, with a 
reddish stripe down the belly and a few black 
stripes across the back, was taken 17 February 
1877 (Zoologist). Mr. A. Covington has also 
received three others of a pale fawn colour, 
one of which was trapped at Bromham ; and 
one of a uniform bright salmon colour which 
showed a delicate pink next the skin when 
the fur was blown aside. Pale silvery grey 
specimens have been received by him in some 
ten or more instances; one at Goldington 
about 1895, and two dingy white varieties from 
Stevington, as well as occasional pied varia- 
tions, but in the latter the spots and blotches 
were always restricted to the under parts. 
In addition to the mole being rather a 
favourite prey of the weasel I have not infre- 
quently found their remains either in the nest 
or among the pellets of the tawny owl. 
g- Common Shrew. Sorex araneus, Linn, 
Locally, Hog Mouse. 
Very common generally. In many small 
spinneys during the spring months I have at 
times noticed considerable numbers together 
running about the undergrowth. 
10. Water Shrew. Neomys fodiens, Pallas. 
Bell—Crossopus fodiens. 
Not very abundant and somewhat locally 
distributed. A favourite haunt is the stream 
flowing through the ‘ Green’ at Goldington ; 
it also occurs more or less commonly at 
Ravensden, Stagsden, Harrowden and Ren- 
hold. TI once procured it at Biddenham near 
Kempston Mill. Mr. A. Covington refers to 
its being formerly abundant in the ditch along 
the Kimbolton road near Gipsy Lane, but 
having now entirely disappeared from that 
locality. One in his possession was taken by 
him in 1861 when a schoolboy in the old 
spring at Clapham. 
CARNIVORA 
11. Fox. Vulpes vulpes, Linn. 
Bell—Vulpes vulgaris. 
Fairly abundant throughout the county, 
but its numbers naturally depend upon the 
protection afforded. The head keeper at 
Southill informed me that once during a 
very heavy thunderstorm, when the young 
pheasants were knocked off their roosting 
perches by the gale, he found as many as 
seventy-six that had been killed by foxes 
during the night. Mr. P. Addington assures 
me that in one instance he found a litter of 
no less than ten cubs. 
12. Pine Marten. Mustela martes, Linn. 
Bell—Martes abietum. 
Locally, Marten Cat. 
During the early years of the last century 
the pine marten was still in evidence in our 
county, but was more particularly confined to 
the larger woodlands, A rapid extermination 
must have however followed soon afterwards, 
as records of a more recent date seem entirely 
absent, and at the present time I do not sup- 
pose there is any one living who has any 
local knowledge of the marten except from 
hearsay. Davis, in his History of Luton (1855), 
refers to it as ‘rare,’ and in his second edition 
(1874), ‘almost extinct,’ whereas there seems 
little doubt that it had been exterminated 
even long before his first edition. Mr. A. 
Covington remarks that he has heard his 
uncle speak of having occasionally obtained it 
around his home at Bolnhurst, and his mother 
when a girl had a cape made of marten cat 
skins and a muff of polecat skins. The animals 
had been caught by her father and brother in 
the locality. The last two that he ever heard 
of were one trapped in a fir tree at Sandy, 
and of more recent date one seen by a Mr. 
Ruff. It had been trapped at Keysoe Wood 
(then of far greater acreage than now) and sus- 
pended to a hazel in one of the ridings. He 
also adds that keepers generally used to sell 
the skins of both these and polecats to the 
furriers. In a conversation I had some years 
ago with an old keeper, named Franklin, he 
assured me his father once killed a marten 
cat at Haynes about 1840, and he had heard 
of it being obtained at Wootton. In the 
Field (1859) is to be found an interesting 
account of the capture in Odell Wood of a 
pine marten and four kittens by an old game- 
keeper in about the year 1819. The old cat 
brought up the kittens successfully in con- 
finement, and although the mother was never 
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