MAMMALS From the marsh-land and rivers, the open country and thickly wooded vales of Kent is recorded nearly every recognized species of British mammal. The wild cat {Felis catus) has been extinct in this county for many years, and although there is no doubt that it existed here at one period, there seems to be no records of its appear- ance that can be relied upon except that of its fossilized remains found at Ightham/ There are old keepers who assert that they have themselves caught it in years gone by, which is very likely to be true, but their assertions cannot be accepted as records. The pine mar- ten {Miistela martes) is another extinct species which certainly existed in considerable numbers about loo years ago, and there are many reputed instances of its occurrence about 40 years ago, but they are unauthenticated. The polecat [Putorius putorius) is probably now ex- tinct, but it existed a few years ago. The badger [Meles meles) is rarely met with, but it still exists and is preserved in one or two places in the county. The pigmy shrew (Sorex miniitus) and the harvest mouse {Mus minutus) appear to be decreasing in numbers. A variety of the weasel [Putorius nivalis) is found in Kent, which differs from the typical animal in its marking, size and habits; it is interesting to note that Gilbert White draws attention to it in his Natural History oj Selhorne.^ The Thames and Medway' are occasionally visited by the common seal {Phoca vitulina), and the dolphin [Delphinus delphis). A specimen of Rudolphi's rorqual [Balaenoptera borealis) was taken from the Thames at Tilbury on 19 October 1887, which measured 35 ft. 4 in.* and another measuring 32 ft. 2 in. was caught at Gillingham on 30 August 1888 and described by Mr. Walter Crouch in the Rochester Naturalist. Other records of Cetaceans will be found in Dr. J. Murie's Report on the Kent and Essex Fisheries, published in 1903. Information concerning specimens preserved in the British Museum has been supplied by Mr. Boulenger. CHEIROPTERA ° I. Greater Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophus 2. Lesser Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophui ferrum-equinum, Schreber. hipfosiderus, Bechstein. Occasionally seen in the county, fre- Recorded from Canterbury Cathedral. quenting some of the old buildings such as There is a specimen in the Maidstone Museum Rochester Castle and Chalk Church. presented by H. Lamb, marked ' Maidstone, 1892.' 1 Lydekker, British Mammals. ^ Letter XV. Selborne, March 30, 1 768. 3 Fielding, Memories of Mailing. ' Proc. Zoo/. Soc. 1SS7, 567. 5 Flirtermice is the local term applied to all bats. 302
