162 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



udders. Where payments were made for Bats, they would, I 

 think, only relate to such when destroyed within the church - 

 buildings. Of greatest interest are the few payments for Marten- 

 Cats in the parish of Eoxton, a species of which very few records 

 indeed can be given of its former occurrence in this county. 



It will be noticed with what frequency payments are made to 

 women ; undoubtedly many such — as widows, for instance — 

 earned useful sums of money in the destruction of vermin ; 

 others no doubt would be merely the receivers of the money on 

 behalf of their husbands. 



The earliest records we have appear in 1665 under Northill, 

 and the last — with the exception of Sparrows — at St. Pauls of 

 Bedford in 1838. Sparrows are first recorded in 1714, at 

 Houghton Begis, and the most recent at Sandy in 1860. 



The following entries under their respective parishes are 

 selected to show the various kinds of vermin destroyed, with 

 prices paid for same, the variation of spelling, and other pay- 

 ments of peculiar interest : — 



Ampthill. 



1719. s. d. 



June. Pd. for Baggers & Hoghogs & Polcatts 15 



1721. 



Apr. Pd. for 5 hedghogs 1 8 



Pd. Mr. Wool's man for a pole catt 6 



Pd. for kiling 4 Dozn of Sparrows 8 



Pd. Bichd. Uptin for killing Sparrows and a pole catt 1 



Novem. Pd. for killing of Varment 1 



1729. 

 Novem. pd. for 2 poole Catts 8 



1730. 



Aprill. pd. for 2 poolcats 8 



Decern, pd. for 4 poll Cats 1 4 



1731. 

 Jnne 22. pd. for a Hedge Hog 4 



1735. 



Pd. Bobt. Gray for 2 foxes 2 



Pd. Stephen Bolding for a fox 1 



1741. 



June ye 28. Payd Bobert taylor for 4 heghogs 1 4 



Payd John Paynter of Milbrook a heggho 4 



Nov. 25. Payd tho m . Gandy for a hegghog 4 



Nov. 25. Pd. John Johnson for killing a Eager 6 



