CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS OF BEDFORDSHIRE. 165 



mentioned in twenty instances. Payments in all amount to 

 £46 9s. lOd. Bates of payment seem to have been — for old 

 Sparrows 4d. per dozen, and for young 3d. per dozen ; but a few 

 exceptions occur. No separate payment for eggs is given. 



Battlesden. 



1782. s. d. 



Paid Byway for mole catching 10 6 



This appears to be the only entry that occurs in the Vestry 

 Minute Book, dating from 1764. 



Bedford (St. Pauls). 



1808. s. d. 



Dec. 27th. Pd. for 2 dozen sparrows 6 



Pd. for 2 Poll'd Gats 1 



1809. 

 May 6th. A Hedge Hog 4 



1816. 



July 20. Pd. for 6 young Hedge Hogs, and 1 old one 1 4 



Aug. 5. Pd. for 8 Pold cats 1 6 



Sept. 26. Pd. for a Stort 6 



Nov. 12. Paid for a Pole cat 4 



1819. 

 March 11. Paid for a Polecatt and Stoot 1 



1821. 

 Jan. 28. Paid f or a Wisel 4 



1822. 

 Aug. 14th. Paid for a Stourt 4 



1838. 

 Sept. 29. Paid Fitzhugh for killing Bats 4 



Entries in the parish accounts date from 1808 to 1838 ; but 

 I have before me only a complete copy until 1816. Herein are 

 payments — for Polecats 11, Stoats 3, Hedgehogs 68, Sparrows 

 18g- dozen. There do not appear to be any entries between 

 30th September, 1811, and 19th July, 1813. The prices of 

 Polecats and Stoats seem to have varied at 4d. or 6d. each, 

 Hedgehogs 4d., except in the one entry as given, where young 

 are included. The first payments for Sparrows are at 3d., but 

 latterly only 2d. per dozen was given. After 1825 the modern 

 spelling of Polecat is principally used. 



BlDDENHAM. 



The Churchwardens' Accounts are very incomplete. There 

 are numerous entries between 1836 and 1849, but only for the 



