MAMMALS killed at Stapleford, but I did not see it, as it was years before I was employed by Lord Harborough.' Col. F. Palmer, of Withcote Hall, writing to me in 1888, said that about fifty years previously the marten cat occurred in Owston Wood. 14. Polecat. Putorius putorius, Linn. Bell Mustek putorius. Locally, Foumart (i.e. Foul Mart or Marten, to distinguish it from the Pine-Marten, which was anciently called Sweet Mart), Fitchet. Increasingly rare, and, if not now, will soon become extinct. Harley wrote : ' Commonly diffused over the county. Met with most frequently in the more densely-wooded parts of it. Occurs not seldom in the vicinage of such woods as those of Oakley, Piper, Grace Dieu, and Gopsall.' The MS. dona- tion-book of the Leicester Museum records one presented on 26 October, 1850, by Mr. Joseph Knight, of Aylestone, which Major Gregory Knight told me was trapped at Blaby by a gamekeeper in the employ of his late father. The late Mr. R. Widdow- son wrote in 1885 : 'Not heard of any here for many years.' Elkington, a bird-stuffer, told me in 1885 that he had not received one for five-and-twenty years. Johnson, keeper at Laughton Lodge, wrote in 1885 that he had not trapped a polecat for years. Mr. Thomas Woodcock of Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreak, informed me in 1885, that although he had not seen one, he believed he had traced them in that vicinity in snowy weather. Mr. W. Ingram of Belvoir wrote in 1885 : 'I cannot hear that a polecat has been seen or destroyed of late years in our woods ' ; and John Ryder, Belvoir Castle, wrote, in 1885 : 'I have not heard of any caught of late, but about twenty- five years ago, Jno. Gibson, one of the duke's keepers, trapped one in the " Frog Hollow," near the pond. I saw and handled it ; and a very fine one it was, much larger than any ferret I have seen.' Writing again on I July, 1885, he said that two polecats had recently been trapped there. In September, 1885,! saw a speci- men in the possession of Messrs. Warner, Sheppard and Wade, and was referred to Mr. W. Brooks, B.A., J.P., of Croft, who informed me that it was trapped in a rabbit-warren on his estate about thirty years before and was stuffed by T. Bull, his groom. Finding that the specimen was a desideratum, Mr. Sheppard kindly presented it to the museum on 21 October, 1885. I am indebted to Mr. W. H. Thompson, of Beckenham, Kent, for a note of one possessed by Mr. Thomas Rowe, of Evington, which the latter informs me was caught in a trap in Swadborough Spinney in the winter of 1856-7, and is still in his possession. Mr. H. C. Woodcock, of Rearsby, told me of five killed out of one drain at Brentingby by the keeper in 1 847, and showed me three mounted specimens which he believes to have formed part of this company. Colonel F. Palmer, writing to me in 1888, said that fifty years previously the polecat was seen in Owston Wood. The late Dr. Macaulay in- formed me that Mr. John Cheney, of Laughton, had two polecats which were killed some years ago (date unknown) from under a haystack. 15. Stoat. Putorius ermineus, Linn. Bell Mustela ermtnea. Locally, Ermine. Resident and generally distributed, breeding close to the town of Leicester. Harley recounted how he once saw, in the northern part of the county, a stoat chase a squirrel, the latter with great agility ascending some steps leading over the wall into a park ; leaping thence to a branch of an oak-tree it thus escaped from its pursuer, which could follow it no farther than the top of the wall. The late Dr. Macaulay described to me a most exciting chase which he witnessed, and which ended in a singular manner. I give it in his own words : ' On 1 6 February, 1 8 84, 1 was driving from Stonton to Tur Langton, in company with Mr. Miles J. Walker, when our attention was attracted by the scream of a rabbit, a sound which like the cry of a hare is never heard except the animal is in fear. Looking into the adjoining field we saw a rabbit being coursed by a stoat. The rabbit was screaming with terror all the while it ran and the stoat was rapidly gaining ground. After going about a hundred and fifty yards the stoat was within a yard of the rabbit, when the latter suddenly stopped and squatted and at the same time ceased to scream. The stoat stopped also, but instead of attacking the rabbit, squatted also in front of, and face to face with it about a foot off and there they remained motionless, the rabbit apparently paralysed with fear. The occupier of the farm, who happened to be on the road, went into the field, and on his approach the stoat ran off, whilst the rabbit allowed him to pick it up, and he brought it to us and placed it in my carriage. The animal's eyes were closed, the heart was palpitating most violently, and the breathing very rapid. It lay on its side for some minutes motionless, and I thought it would die. A careful examination failed to detect any injury what- ever. After a time it slowly recovered, and we turned it loose again.' Several examples of the stoat have occurred in the county, in partial ' ermine ' or winter dress, and the Leicester Museum donation-book records : ' Stoat in its winter dress, 13 January, 1851,' and another also, ' in winter dress, 30 January, 1851 ; both presented by Joseph Knight, Esq.' the late Maj. Gregory Knight informed me that they were killed at Blaby by a gamekeeper in the employ of his late father. Mr. Thomas Woodcock, writing from Rat- cliffe-on-the-Wreak, in 1885, said: 'One obtained near here pure white. Col. F. Palmer also has one or two in winter dress.' An absolutely white speci- men (ermine) from Saddington was presented to the Leicester Museum early in 1891. Mr. W. J. Horn reports that on 1 8 March, 1894, a stoat of its own accord swam across the canal at Market Harborough, and on 15 May, 1905, he saw a pair by the canal side the male chasing the female and uttering a barking noise. 1 6. Weasel. Putorius niva/ii, Linn. Bell Mustela vulgaris. Locally Cane. Resident and generally distributed. Harley re- marked : 'This species hunts down the grey rat with wonderful daring and spirit. It also preys on the water rat and traces out the runs of that quiet,, harmless animal with much address and great cunning, surpassing even the adroitness and agility of the ferret.' One, presented by Mr. Thomas Greaves to the Leicester Museum on 14 November, 1851, was killed in Princess Street, close to the museum. During the early part of December, 1856, according to a MS. note dated 5 December, 1856, by Harley, 161 21
