NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 443 



still hold their own in Gloucestershire in spite of the persecution 

 to which they arc subjected whenever an opportunity occurs. 

 The Polecat also is still found occasionally in some parts of the 

 county, though on some estates, as on that of Lord Sherborne, 

 it is reported to be now extinct. 



Ten years ago (16^2) a Marten was shot in the Fore- 

 Dean, and about the same time one was taken alive at Berkeley, 

 and kept for some weeks in captivity, but proved to be wild, r -. 



s, and untameable. This does not happen, however, if the 

 animal be taken young. 



That the Wild Cat was at one time a native of Gloucestershire 

 is most probable. The name ' Catswood ' occurs here and there 

 in the county, and it is on record that Thomas de Berkeley, in 

 Henry tne First's time, had liberty by royal grant to hunt the 

 Wild Cat, amongst other animals, in Kingswood Chase. It must 

 now, however, be regarded, so far as England is concerned, as 

 one of the wild animals which have become extinct within his- 

 toric times. 



The Black Bat is stated to be still common in some of the 

 Bristol warehouses, and in 1872 a score or so were killed around 

 a rick at Brownshiil, lieu Stroud. 



Under the head of Bed Deer Mr. Witchell writes (p. 39) : — 



" Deer seem to have been occasionally employed, when tame, for draught 

 purposes, for, after the death of Kiog Edward II., Aboot Thokey went, 

 attended by his brethren, solemnly robed and accompanied by a procession 

 from the city of Gloucester, and claimed the body for burial, which, with 

 the observance of all possible respect, he conveyed in his own chariot 

 drawn by stags to the Abbey, where it was buried with becoming 

 solemnity." 



is passage appears to be quoted from Fisher's ' History of 

 Bei-: -64, and in our opinion is founded entirely upon a 



misconception. We have no doubt that the stags in this case 

 were not deer, but oxen. The word Stag (Icelandic steggr) really 

 applies to the male of several animals, and in some parts of the 

 country is especially bestowed upon a castrated taurine male from 

 two to four years old. In this sense it is synonymous with steer 

 yX. S. sieor, Icel. t/aor). There would be nothing remarkable in 

 the :act tnat the body of the king was conveyed upon a chariot 

 drawn by oxen, which would be chosen for that purpose, in pre- 

 erence to horses, on account of their slow and solemn gait. 



