Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/276

252 In 1297 John Engaine died, seized, inter alia, of certain lands in "Pytesle," in the county of Northampton, found to be held of the King by the service of hunting the wolf, fox, wild cat, badger, wild boar, and hare; and likewise the manor of Great Gidding, in the county of Huntingdon, held by the service of catching the bare, fox, wild cat, and wolf, within the counties of Huntingdon, Northampton, Buckingham and Rutland.- In 1368 Thomas Engaine, dying without issue, was found to be seized of fourteen yardlands and meadow, and 14s. 4d. rent, in Pightesle, in the county of Northampton, held by the service of finding, at his own proper cost, certain dogs for the destruction of wolves, foxes, martens, wild cats, and other vermin within the counties of Northampton, Rutland, Oxford, Essex and Buckingham. + During the reign of Henry IV., Sir Thomas de Aylesbury, knight, and Catherine his wife, held of the King, in capite, the manor of Laxton, inter alia, with the appurtenances in the county of Northampton, by "grand serjeanty," viz., by the service of taking wolves, foxes, wild cats, and other vermin in certain counties named. Robert Lindsay, in his 'Chronicles of Scotland' (vol. ii., p. 346), informs us that in 1528 the Earl of Athol entertained King James V. with a great hunt which lasted three days. "It is said, at this tyme, in Atholl and Stratherdaill boundis, thair was slaine threttie scoir of hart and hynd, with other small beastis, sich as roe and roebuck, woulff, fox and wyld cattis." A century later, Sir Robert Gordon, in his 'Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland from its origin to the year 1630,' especially mentioned the wild cat amongst the beasts of chase in Scotland at that period. He says the forests and "schases" in the county of Sutherland were "verie profitable for feiding of bestiall, and delectable for hunting, being full of reid-deer and roes, woulffs, foxes, wyld catts, brocks, skuyrells, whittrets, weasels, otters, martrixes, bares, and fumarts." Much more evidence of this kind might, no doubt, be adduced, but the above will perhaps suffice to illustrate the point in question. —

— I was told by Mr. John Wise, of Malton, land surveyor, that as he was surveying at Bainton some years ago he saw an old weasel carrying a young one in her mouth. He aimed a blow at her with his staff, but missed her, causing her, however, to drop the young one and run away a short distance. He picked up the young one, and found that it was fast asleep. The old one had now come back, and was running about his legs in a very excited way. He woke up the young one, when it immediately " showed fight," and would have bitten him

Dugdale's 'Baronage,' vol. i., p. 466. See also the 'Rotuli Hundredorum,' ii., p. e27.

+ Rot. fin. 42. Edw. III., m. 18. Dugdale's 'Baronage,' vol. i., p. 467 ; and Blount 'Ancient Tenures,' p. 231.