lxxii PROLEGOMENA 



pence.' This edict was not strictly acted upon. For example, 

 twenty-four Foulmarts were paid for in the year 1725-26. But 

 the active reformers passed a fresh regulation, this time pro- 

 scribing the Otter as an outlaw, to which fact we owe the 

 circumstance that seventy-five Otters were killed between 1733 

 and 1742, both years inclusive. The following was the text of 

 the new order: 'Dec. 27th, 1729. Ordered there by ye general 

 consent of ye Church Wardens at their Publick Meeting in 

 Kendall Parish Church, That Hereafter nothing be paid for any 

 virmin Heads Except for Foxes, Otters, and Kavens, viz. : for 

 every Fox head, 5s.; Cubb, 2s. 6d. j Otter head, Is,; Eaven, 

 2d.' This decision appears to have held good for many years. 

 A new generation at length sprang up, and the ancient custom 

 of paying for Foulmarts revived in 1774. The disbursements 

 for the year 1794 furnish the last and most remarkable details 

 of a general slaughter of the wild animals that haunted the hills 

 round Kendal. On this occasion the return of the slain included 

 four Foxes, eight Ravens, four Pine Martens, and the extra- 

 ordinary number of one hundred and seventy-three Foumarts. 

 While the price for Martens had risen from fourpence to a 

 shilling, Foumarts were still valued at twopence each. 

 The Badger. Under the title of 'Brock,' 1 this interesting but ill-used 



animal figures in the lists of the victims of our hill-men with 

 tolerable frequency, though the Kendal tale of slaughter is at 

 present unsurpassed. There are certain holes on Orton Scar 

 known as ' Pate holes.' The elder Gough offered the comment 

 a century ago, that ' Pate ' was an obsolete name for the Badger. 

 After searching many folios of parish accounts, often difficult 

 to decipher, I have at last discovered this name in one of the 

 books of Penrith parish. It occurs as far back as the year 

 1658: 'payed for Killinge a ffoxx £00, 02s, 06d. payed for 

 killinge of two paytes, £00, 02s. 00d.' The irony of fate compels 

 me to withdraw an unlucky remark, made on p. 42, that 1741 



1 Professor Skeat derives * Brock ' from the Celtic broch, which is 

 identical with the Gaelic Broc. He adds: 'It is most probable, as 

 Mr. Wedgwood suggests, that the animal was named from his white- 

 streaked face; just as a trout is, in Gaelic, called " breac" i.e. spotted' 

 {Dictionary of the English Language, p. 78). 



