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MAMMALS When the ancient forest of Rockingham was united to Leighfield Forest and the other wooded tracts of Rutland, the larger and fiercer carnivora, as old records imply, must have been plentiful enough in this district. But in its present condition of being eminently a pastoral and agricultural county, in which the woodlands form less than four per cent, and the waste lands less than one per cent, of the whole area, Rutland cannot boast a list of mammals which is either extensive or peculiar. It is, however, pleasant to be able to record that the badger and otter breed freely, and are much more numerous than is generally supposed. The wild cat does not linger even in tradition and the marten scarcely so, though it has occurred within living memory close to the border of Rutland. Amongst the smaller mammals the English black rat has left no trace of its existence behind it. The bats are very badly represented owing to that want of competent observers so much lamented by the late Lord Lilford in one of the last letters he wrote. Previous to the list now drawn up nothing had been written on the mammals of Rutland except a few notes, chiefly contributed by the Earl of Gainsborough and Mr. W. J. Horn, to Mr. Montagu Browne's Vertebrates of Leicestershire and Rutland^ and the two or three references in Mr. J. E. Harting's Extinct British Animals. CARNIVORA I. Wild Cat. Felts catus, Linn. mous dog fox, like a small wolf in size, was It is impossible to say when the wild cat dispatched in Wardley Wood in 1897. In became extinct in Rutland, but that it was December, 1 900, a curious incident occurred, once to be found there would have been While the hounds were following a fox in certain, even if we had not the express evi- the Welland valley, another fox, sitting on dence adduced by Mr. J. E. Harting in his the railway line, and intent no doubt upon Extinct British Animals. Quoting Dugdale's the distant chase, allowed a passing train to Baronage, i. 466, and Rotuli Hundredorum, ii. cut oiF its brush. 627, he says : 'In 1297 John Engaine died ^larten. Mustela martes, Linn. seized, inter aha, of the manor of Great n „ .* ,■ /-Tjj- ■ tj..j Liju • -oell — Maries abietum. (jiddmg in com. Huntendon, held by service .^'i.- • 1 1 i- , • t^ , , of catching the hare, fox, cat and wolf within . ^^'^ T'"" "° ^oubt lingered on in Rutland the counties of Huntendon, Northampton 1"*° '^^ ^f century. Its former abundance Buckingham and Roteland: '" ^""'^<^ ^^ references in early records. 4. Polecat. Putorius putorius, Linn. 2. Fox. Vulpes vulpes (Linn). ^e— Mustek putorius. ^A—Vulpes vulgaris. On the verge of extinction. The latest Rutland abounds in foxes and affords sport records are : one shot at Exton Park about for at least two packs of hounds. An enor- 1850 ; one killed at Ridlington about 1858 ; 77