It is hardly so impossible to identify the animals mentioned by your
correspondent J. B. as he supposes. _Glead_ is the A.-S. _glida_ or
_kite_, though, in our version of Deut. xiv. 13., both _glede_ and
_kite_ are mentioned. _Ringteal_ or _ringtail_ is the female of the
_Circus cyaneus_ or hen-harrier, another species of falcon. _Greas'
head_ and _baggar_ refer to the same animal (the badger), for there is
no wonder that a scribe who writes _greas' head_ for _gray's head_
should write also _baggar_ for _badger_. This latter animal has a
variety of names by which he is known in one and the same district, e.g.
_gray_ or _graye_, _bawson_ or _bowson_, _brock_ and _badger_, and in
_our_ churchwardens' accounts these names occur indiscriminately. I hope
some one will be able to point out the origin of paying for the
destruction of these animals out of the parochial funds; I have
frequently searched without success such authorities as I have access
to. The earliest entry of the kind in the books of this parish (which
date from 1520) is in 1583.
I subjoin a few extracts, which afford a curious instance of the
respective prices put upon the heads of these animals at a time when
such entries occur; as,
"1587 for ij dyverse p'achers for iij sermones iijs iiijd.
1583 It[=m] for iiij fox heads xvjd
1586 -- ij fox heads ijs
1589 -- catte heades iiijd
1590 -- xij bulspyncke (bulfinch) heades. vjd
" -- vj crowe heades jd
" -- an urchen (hedghog) heade ijd
1596 -- a grayes head vjd
1620 -- a bawson head xijd
1621 -- tow fox cub heads xijd
" -- vij hedghoge heads xiiijd
1626 -- a wylde catt head ijd
1736 -- an otter head xijd
1741 -- a fulmart's head iiijd
" -- a ffoomard's head iiijd
1744 -- 3 marts heads is"
These entries are very numerous in our books with every variety of
spelling, though the prices remain very much the same. I have found no
entries of the kind after 1744, but that may be owing to the accounts
being not entered fully in every case after that period; but I cannot
agree with J. B. in his assertion that these animals are now considered
innocuous; witness the vulgar error with regard to the hedgehog's
sucking the teats of cows, an error which no process of reasoning can
induce the farmers about here to renounce; moreover, I know for a fact
that not more than a dozen years ago the farmers near Wakefield used to
give a halfpenny per head for every unlucky sparrow (fledged or
unfledged) that was brought to them by any bird-nesting youngster.