“Venator capta marte superbus adest”. — Epigr.

In Cranborn  Chase and at Vernditch are some marterns still remaining.
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In Wiley river are otters, and perhaps in others.  The otter is our English bever; and Mr. Meredith Lloyd saies that in the river Tivy in Carmarthenshire there were real bevers heretofore — now extinct.  Dr. Powell, in his History of Wales, speakes of it.  They are both alike; fine furred, and their tayles like a fish. (The otter hath a hairy round tail, not like the beavers. — J. Ray.)
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I come now to warrens.  That at Auburn is our famous coney-warren; and the conies there are the best, sweetest, and fattest of any in England; a short, thick coney, and exceeding fatt The grasse there is very short, and burnt up in the hot weather.  ’Tis a saying, that conies doe love rost-meat.
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Mr. Wace’s notes, p. 62.- “We have no wild boares in England:  yet it may be thought that heretofore we had, and did not think it convenient to preserve this game”.  But King Charles I. sent for some out of France, and putt them in the New Forest, where they much encreased, and became terrible to the travellers.  In the civill warres they were destroyed, but they have tainted all the breed of the pigges of the neighbouring partes, which are of their colour; a kind of soot colour.

(There were wild boars in a forest in Essex formerly.  I sent a Portugal boar and sow to Wotton in Surrey, which greatly increased; but they digged the earth so up, and did such spoyle, that the country would not endure it:  but they made incomparable bacon.- J. Evelyn.)
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In warrens are found, but rarely, some old stotes, quite white:  that is, they are ermins.  My keeper of Vernditch warren hath shewn two or three of them to me.

At Everley is a great warren for hares; and also in Bishopston parish
neer Wilton is another, where the standing is to see the race; and
an°. 1682 the Right Honble James, Earle of Abingdon, made another at
West Lavington.
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Having done now with beastes of venerum, I will come to dogges.  The British dogges were in great esteeme in the time of the Romans; as appeares by Gratius, who lived in Augustus Caesar’s time, and Oppian, who wrote about two ages after Gratius, in imitation of him.  “Gratii Cynegeticon”, translated by Mr. Chr.  Wace, 1654:-

“What if the Belgique current you should view, And steer your course to Britain’s utmost shore’!  Though not for shape, and much deceiving show, The British hounds no other blemish know:  When fierce work comes, and courage must he shown, And Mars to extreme combat leads them on, Then stout Molossians you will lesse commend; With Athemaneans these in craft contend.” ___________________________________