1 68 Peacock: Mammalia of Bottesford. 



Water Shrew. Neomys fodiens (Pall.). Rarer than the last,, 

 but is found in some of our drains. It may be seen on fine 

 days hunting- water insects. The variety called the 



Oared Shrew (Sorex ciliatus Sowerby) I have seen too. It 

 is only a melanistic form, I believe. 



Badger. Meles meles (L.). Is a rare visitor. One was caught 

 in Holme on the 4th May 1900, and sent to Leeds. It was 

 big- with young. I had only heard of one before that. It 

 had been fast in a rabbit trap for some time, but could drag 

 the trap and chain along with it. On one side the links 

 were worn quite bright. I cannot give even an approximate 

 date ; my regular notes from which this paper is written 

 did not begin before 1887. 



Otter. Lutra Jutra (L.). Used to be fairly common, but long ago 

 became extinct except as a casual wanderer. I have never 

 seen one. But that it still comes to us at times there can 

 be little doubt. A pair visited the water mill in Messingham, 

 just out of our borders to the south, about 1868 to 1870 ; 

 and one was caught in Burringham sewer, just to the 

 north, on 3rd October 1899. Their bones have been found 

 in the peat. 



Weasel. Putorius nivalis (L.). Is common all over still. I have 

 seen them hunting in packs like dogs. Once I saw at least 

 twenty working a small larch plantation, and while I was 

 watching they killed three full-grown Rabbits. You find 

 the same thing in trapping Rabbits. For weeks you will 

 not take a Weasel, and then have a number every morning 

 for some days. When the Vicar and I were visiting my 

 traps in 1891, one June morning, I had six, and but only one 

 Rabbit. The Weasel is often taken in mole-traps when 

 engaged in hunting galleries of the eternal digger. Rats 

 are also taken in this way too, but very rarely compared 

 with the Weasel. 



Stoat. Putorius ermineus (L.). Not as common as the 

 Weasel, but still may often be seen. I do not think they 

 ever feed on the Brown Rat unless they are driven by 

 hunger. I have seen them in one stack of corn with nests 

 of young. There were few Mice along with them. Looking 

 over some old notes since my return from the Argentine, 

 I came across the following jotting, which was made about 

 1878, I believe : — On the boundary of the township of 

 Yaddlethorpe, in a field called Old Chapel Close, my father 



Xatu ralist, 



