Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter - Winter 1992/1993
Ian Morgan

Introduction

The pine marten Martes mattes L. is regarded as a nationally rare mammal which, although it was once more widespread in Britain, is now confined to the Scottish Highlands (its main stronghold) with other outliers of population -principally in the Lake District, north and south Yorkshire and northern Wales (Velander, 1983). Yet, recent sightings - supported by older evidence - suggests that the marten, or to give it its distinctive Welsh name, "bele" (pl. "balaod"), survives along the southern fringes of the Cambrian Mountains and also south-eastwards into the western parts of the Brecon Beacons. The following notes will examine this evidence, particularly for the vice-county of Carmarthenshire but additionally for adjacent areas of Wales. In this text, the name "marten" rather than "pine marten" will be mostly used, the latter name being comparatively recently coined by naturalists to distinguish it from other European species. The British marten occurs in deciduous woodland as well as conifers; at times it can also inhabit more open terrain, particularly where other shelter for example blocky scree, is found, though breeding animals are found only in wooded areas (Balharry, 1992). The species receives full protection under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

The first possible association of the marten with that area which we now call the Watsonian vice-county of Carmarthenshire vc44 is the reference to the yalue of it's pelt in "Y Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda" or "The Laws of Hywel Dda" (c.AD940), drawn up on the instructions of the Welsh king who ultimately ruled the whole of the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth, and who convened a great meeting at Whitland (with representatives from eyery commote in his kingdom) to formulate these laws. The value of a marten's skin was fixed at 24 pence - of course a large sum in those days, as opposed to that of the wolf and otter which were valued at only 8 pence (with incidentally, the great rarity of the beaver resulting in its value being placed at 120 pence). This was not however, the first reference to the marten in Welsh literature - this honour falling to an anonymous 7th Century lullaby entitled "Pais Dinogad" (see Appendix 1).

Cursory and very incomplete examination of place-names on OS maps has revealed several localities in south-west wales with the element "bele". There is "Clun bele" and the associated "Afon bele" in the Cwmduad area (SN348333); "Blaen-bele" south of Pencader (at 5N447337) and Dilwyn Roberts informs me of "Wern¬y-pele" to the north of Llangyndeyrn (near Ty'r Stewart SN46-15-); additionally N.R. Thomas has also drawn my attention to "Nant-y-pele" in Ceredigion SN375571. These place-names are not recent and indeed, local people when questioned in Welsh about "y bele" are unaware of this name, the marten being so rare and elusive (or absent in many parts) that it has currently no place in the rural vernacular culture of south Wales, a fate that has similarly befallen the polecat in the border counties of England (J.D.S. Birks, pers comm., 1992). It might be worth noting that most of the few localities mentioned above are still heavily-wooded, for the marten is reputed to favour the cover provided by woodland (Balharry, 1991). The current "Carmarthenshire Place-name Survey", being carried out under the auspices of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society, should, in due course, be able to provide more examples of place-names relating to the marten; likewise examination of parish records or the documents of large estates will probably produce records of this mammal in the county, doubtless "killed as vermin". Carmarthenshire, vc44 in Carmarthenshire is by E. Cambridge Philips who, quoted by the Editor of The Zoologist in 1893, states that "the old Welsh hound will hunt the marten with great keenness and, about twenty-five years since (i.e. in c.1867), two hounds belonging to my father-in-law (Mr Gwynne Vaughan) "at walk" at Cefn [Cefn farm SN8138], Carmarthenshire, midway between Llandovery and Llanwrtyd, hunted a marten by themselves and killed it...one would think that the large coverts of scrub oak which were formerly so dense in the upper part of Carmarthenshire would be exactly suited to its habits...I should think it is likely that there still may be some around Ystradffin (SN78-46-) and the upper parts of the Towy, where what keepers are pleased to call vermin are not kept down." In the unpublished Natural History Diaries of Professor J.H. Salter (held at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth) are some seventeen references to "marten cats", in north Wales as well as further south. For May 3, 1904 he wrote, "C.V. [believed to be A. Gwynne Vaughan] remembers a marten cat being startled out of a magpie's nest at Cwm Crychan [5N8138] and killed 32 years ago." This may well refer to the Cambridge Philips record just quoted. It is worth noting here that some of the recent records of martens are from this yery same area (see later) and that dead martens have been reported in the Crychan - Halfway Forest (SN83) on the borders of Carmarthenshire and Breconshire. H.R.H. Vaughan (in correspondence dated 18 December 1950) remarked that "a lad named Davies" (who worked for the Forestry Commission) told him that he had seen "in a wood near Halfway an animal which he believed was a pine marten." It is also perhaps no coincidence that it was in the upper Tywi valley, and the surrounding areas of mid Wales, that a more obvious Welsh rarity - the red kite Milvus milvus - persisted in Britain at the height of gamekeepering. Perhaps both bird and beast together suryived persecution in these remote uplands on the southern edge of the Central Wales massif.

- known place-names with "bele" (marten)

Without reference to the above sources, the first firm mention of the marten Forrest (in undated notes in NMW files and quoting J.E. Harting in The Zoologist (1891-3)) mentions that Jeffreys, the locally well-known taxidermist of Carmarthen town "had two to preserye, shot by Mr Thompson of Glyn Abbey (SN448079), Kidwelly, about 1880". T.W. Barker, in his rather superficial and brief account of the mammals of Carmarthenshire (Barker, 1905) thought that the marten may be extinct in the county, "the last specimen having been shot near Kidwelly some years ago" - perhaps referring to the Glyn Abbey individuals? There is the possibility that Astley Thompson shot the Glyn Abbey martens in Glamorgan, as he only bought the house and estate in August 1866 and he was an ironmaster of Ynys Pentyrch, Glamorgan (Jones, 1987), though presumably Jeffreys would have stated so if that had been the case.

In the December 1965 issue of the magazine Country Quest, a close range photograph appeared of a marten which was said to have been taken not far from Paxton's Tower (SN541191) near Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire; it was accompanied by other photographs of a weasel, fox and a snake draped over a branch. Except for the snake, various aspects of these photographs suggest to the present writer (and others he has consulted) that these photographs are of stuffed animals; consequently this record cannot be accepted. The next Carmarthenshire records are those reported to Dilwyn Roberts by Trevor Studleigh an F.C. officer, of singletons seen (in c.1969) in conifer woodland near Llanddowror (SN23-14-) and near Llanmiloe House, Pendine (SN248088); though no supporting evidence is available.

Soon afterwards, (on 7 October 1971), "from a detailed description, an animal unmistakeably a marten, was run over on the road (SN71-46-( between Cwrt-y-Cadno and Rhandirmwyn... below an area of wooded crags most suitable as a habitat for this species." (T. Morrissey in P.J. Panting, 1972). About this period, Dafydd Davies of Rhandirmwyn recalls one being reported to him seen crossing the same road and also at this period there were the two sightings in the nearby Tywi Forest just in Breconshire (see later). Also during the 1970's, one was reported on several occasions by forest workers near Brunant SN67-41- and the farmer at nearby Brynteg SN685435 maintains that he has also seen this species in recent years.

Another Carmarthenshire sighting was in 1977, in the very extensive Brechfa - Abergorlech Forest area at Trawscoed (SN56-37-) - not to be confused with the locality of the same name in Ceredigion (Cards.) from where (at an earlier date) martens have also been recorded. It was an individual seen at close range by Forestry Commission staff Alan Enoch and Emyr Richards who reported that it was "sleeker than the fluffy animal portrayed in books" due to its wet pelage. Mr Enoch had previously seen pine martens in Scotland when working there with the Forestry Commission. There have been other very recent (unconfirmed) reports of sightings in this area by farmers, (in response to questioning by Countryside Council for Wales staff). Perhaps more significantly, Mr Caradog Jones reported seeing a marten which ran in front of his car, in daylight, on Mynydd Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn (cSNS4-37-) in May 1992. He seemed positive about his identification (and correctly described the animal to CCW staff) and added that he too had seen a marten in Scotland. In view of other recent sightings from this densely-afforested area and the apparent authenticity of Mr Jones' description the May 1992 record can be reasonably accepted as "definite".

Early in 1982, a decayed marten corpse was found in a barn at Crug-las farm (SN688238) not far from Llandeilo, by the owners Mr and Mrs Somerfield; the identification was double checked by Mrs Somerfield (a reliable local botanist) by reference to books. In 1984 near Troed-rhiw gelynen, Rhandirmwyn SN75-45- Chris Mead watched a marten "go up one tree, down it, across to the next mature tree and up that too". Mr Mead mentioned its agility and that it exhibited the confidence of a squirrel when climbing. A nearby raptor's nest failed shortly afterwards and it is suspected that the marten may have been involved.

There are also undated but post-1980 possible records from near Llandovery (SN73) (seen by a hedgecutter who described the animal to N.R. Matthew), in the Dolaucothi area (SN64), and one seen bounding across a field near Trapp (SN65-19-, per. Sheelagh Seery). Without any substantiation, these last three records should be treated with caution.

Glamorgan, vc41

Lewis Weston Dillwyn, in his useful "Materials for a Fauna and Flora of Swansea" (not published and privately circulated, Swansea 1848) said that it was "not unfrequently found in the neighbouring woods; and I know of two which were killed, the one near Ynysgerwyn (5578-99-) and the other in Cline (Clyne Woods, SS60-91-) ...my late draughtsman Mr W.W. Young, A.L.S. assured me that the martens in the Heath Valley have generally, if not always, the throat more or less tinged with yellow." It is well to remember that pre-Industrial Revolution upland or "Blaenau" Glamorgan was as wild and as thinly populated as Snowdonia, to which the early travellers compared it - with much woodland, crags and other suitable marten habitat. A note in The Field (Anon, 1910) states that a marten was sent to the firm of P. Spicer and Sons (Leamington) for preservation. It was trapped (the same year) at Glanbran (SS71-99-) between Swansea and Neath, in woodland at c.500ft a.s.l. The animal was in the possession of Mr Theodore Gibbons of Glynfelin, Meath and it was actually examined and confirmed by Colin Matheson (Keeper of Zoology at the National Museum of Wales) in 1938.

Breconshire, vc42

In Breconshire, E. Cambridge Philips knew of four stuffed specimens obtained in that county since 1857 and who reported (Zoologist, 1887) that one was seen in a wood near Brecon in September 1886. He also referred to their existence in Radnorshire and that the "large woods of Llangoed (SO115400)... were formerly a noted place for them and fifteen years ago lie 1872], one was trapped at Henallt (S0064480) not far distant" (Zoologist, 1893). Later, he reported that it was very rare in Breconshire, "though it may occur in the rocky cairns adjoining the hills, especially rear Llanwrtyd. I have known hounds to kill one there in 1867 (presumed to be the Carmarthenshire record at Cefn (arm, mentioned earlier] and about twenty years ago one was seen in Venny fach (Fermi-Each?) Wood" (Philips, 1910). J.H. Salter also refers (5.4.1903) in his diaries to Henallt, saying that a "marten cat [was] trapped at Henallt wood on the Wye, 4 or 5 years ago." Whether he has mistaken his date (Philips gave 1872) or whether Salter refers to another individual is not known. Salter also mentions other Breconshire records in his productive diaries - 9 September 1903, "Mr Vaughan Powell, water bailiff at Senny Bridge, used to know the tracks of the marten cat in the snow in his youth" and 10 September 1903, "John Lloyd, former keeper to Mr Gray at Nant Gwyllt (Merthyr Cynog SN98-37-] killed several marten cats around 1865." Writing in 1926, T.R. Philips remarked that, "the Pine Marten, Mustela martes is also, probably quite extinct in the neighbourhood. One was killed at Clyro (this site is actually in Radnor) about 70 years ago, and the last I have heard of was killed in the Henallt Wood between Erwood and Builth about 40 years ago," the latter occurrence doubtless referring to the 1872 Cambridge Philips record.

The next martens we hear of in Breconshire are those reported from the Crychan - Halfway forest plantings on the Carmarthenshire border and the adult female which was trapped In a rabbit snare at Glyn Collwn S0078171 in November 1950 (the specimen is now at the National Museum of Wales); in 1951 another was reported soon afterwards "a few miles north of Brecon" (NMW files). Also in the NMW files is the note "another reported in 1963 on the side of the Eppynt, Brecs." No grid reference can be firmly given for this, but it is worth noting that the Eppynt range (SN93 etc), lies between other localities for which records exist. In May 1973, NCC staff member John Davis and his wife Hazel saw one in the Tywi Forest Just south of Craig Nant-y-ffleiddast (incidentally, the "rock of the stream of the bitch-wolf") SN805545, not far from the Breconshire/Cardiganshire border. Near here, by Nant-y-Stalwyn 5N80-57-, one was seen in 1971, at night, in car headlights by C. Bird (P.O. Panting, 1971). In 1983, there were "two sight records on consecutive days" at Llanfihangel Want Bran (SN94-34-) NW of Brecon by P.G.H. Evans (per. H.R. Arnold, Biological Records Centre).

The most recent indication of the marten's presence in Breconshire is a scat (they have a characteristic spiral shape) found on a boulder at the NW end of Goytre Wood (SO 005540 - NW of Builth Wells) on 21 August 1992 by Robert Bohan, who was engaged on woodland survey work for the Countryside Council for Wales. Robert is familiar with martens in his native Eire and he is confident of his identification.

Radnorshire, vc43

Literature in files at the National Museum of Wales hold three ancient marten records, one remarking that "the late J.W. Lloyd had a specimen killed at Stanage (SO 33-72-) about 1840", and others obtained at Harpton Court (=Tre'r delyn) SO 20-59-, c.1862 (again J.W. Lloyd) and at Clyro Court (=Cleirwy) SO21-43-, also c.1862. House (1949) states that the marten lingered in the county as late as 1911 and was common up to 1850. Interestingly, he gives a local name as "chwiwot", and also that (as an indication of its comparative scarcity) churchwardens paid 10s for a dead marten and 2s for a fox.

Two recent instances of the probable occurrence of the marten have been communicated by John Messenger. "In September 1989 near Gladestry (SO 220540), a farmer reported seeing one, after dark, running along the edge of a road by a wood. He was well acquainted with polecats, badgers etc and I was convinced of his identification. I spoke with him at length and gained the impression that he probably had seen a marten" (J. Messenger, pers. comm., 1992). Also, in August 1990, one was reported to have been trapped by a farmer at Cwmbach near Rhayader (SN 950700). An intermediary actually saw the corpse, but the farmer - fearing prosecution - would not release the remains of the marten to John Messenger. More recently, possible marten scats (faeces) have been found by J. Birks on the southern edge of the Radnor Forest.

Cardiganshire, vc46

For Ceredigion (Cards VC46), Forrest (undated NNW notes) states that there was "no record except an example reported to me by Mr W. Yelland, who saw it at Hafod, near Devil's Bridge, about 1878. The invaluable Salter diaries contain two references to martens in Cardiganshire, the one for 12.11.1928 that "Miall Jones (Aberystwyth chemist) says that "Old John" the woodman saw a marten in the woods behind Ty-Issa [SN607763) 40 years ago" i.e. c.1888. The second reference is the (earlier) diary entry (for 21.11.1894) which mentioned that Mr. Davies of Penpontpren, Talybont, knew of no marten cats within his recollection. Arthur Chater - who kindly provided all the marten references in the Salter diaries - informs me that Davies had a good bird and mammal collection so he knew what was in the area. Frank S. Wright, writing in The Zoologist (1916), asserted that the marten was "excessively rare on the Coastal Plateau, but a few may survive on the High Plateau east of Tregaron. A young male was trapped near Crosswood (Trawscoed SN67-74-) early in the summer of 1915, and I examined it in a fresh state. Mr Hutchings the local taxidermist at Aberystwyth] said that this specimen was the first local marten to pass through his hands for quite thirty years. It is believed to haye been seen in the district during recent years. This specimen was acquired for the Zoological Collection of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth." It is interesting that he refers to the possibility of their survival in the Tregaron uplands - which are very close to the Rhandirmwyn district where martens are also believed to have survived (for example Cambridge Philip's quote) and from where recent records hail. The date of the Trawscoed record -1915 - may be of further significance, for by then the First world War had erupted, and after which, gamekeepering failed to reach it's pre-war ferocity, to the benefit of predators such as the marten. Langley and Malden (1977), in their thorough paper on the demise of the rarer carnivores in Britain, suggest that by the First World War the marten was extinct in Wales south of Snowdonia, but it is my belief that this may not be quite so - witness the Cardigan and Glamorgan records from this period. Vast swathes of Wales have been poorly chronicled by competent naturalists for long periods and this, coupled with the secretive nature of the marten is perhaps responsible for the paucity of records, not its complete physical absence. Contemporary opinion however, suggests it was a very rare creature during this period.

The first relatively recent reference to the marten is the note by P.J. Panting that "several, local unsubstantiated records suggest that this rare mammal may be present in various parts of the county" (Panting, 1961), as was the view of Matheson (1962). Matheson also suggested that the extensive Forestry Commission plantings were aiding the survival and spread of the species - a view echoed by canary (1959). About 1970 the late Jim Jones of Dologau - a pest control officer with the F.C., "actually caught one in a squirrel trap at Hafod, which he subsequently released...the trap was set on top of a dry-stone wall on the forest boundary at c.SN755727. He described the event quite graphically to me three or four years later, and I've little doubt that it must have been a pine marten, with creamy-coloured underparts. Of course, Jim was very familiar with the other mustelids." (Peter Davis, pers. comm. 1992).

This event was also reported, but less thoroughly, in Nature in Wales (Panting, 1971) where there were other reference& to the marten in nearby Llanafan (5569-72-) - sight records and "its unmistakable calls" at night (L.A. Paskin, c.1970). About this period, (i.e. c.1968-70), John Davis (the present Countryside Council for Wales warden for Cors Caron NNR), heard this animal at night when he occupied a caravan at Devil's Bridge (1573-77-). There are two recent sightings from Ceredigion - an individual seen by Tony Phelps at Nant-y-Moch (5573-88-) in the autumn of 1989, crossing the forest road near the reservoir and a very recent record from the RSPB Ynys-hir Reserve SN68-96- of one seen by Barry Long on 27 December 1991.

Pembrokeshire, vc45

No material is at hand concerning the status of the marten in Pembrokeshire except a brief letter dated August 3rd 1960 from P.J. Panting (in the National Museum of Wales files), to Colin Matheson the Keeper of Zoology in which Mr Panting states, "thank you for your letter...regarding Pembrokeshire occurrences of pine martens. Unfortunately, I did not see one personally, but have good evidence of the occurrence of several in the last two or three years. They have been on the Pencaer peninsula [SM90-40-) and not on the Preselis proper. I hope to be up at the National Museum before very long, when I will discuss the matter with you - the evidence is rather complicated to put in a letter." (There are no further notes on these occurrences which, if correct, may represent wanderers from central Wales, in the NMW files).

Summary

It seems that the marten could be actually established in the upland areas of mid and south-west Wales, rather than, as has been supposed, being an infrequent nomad from populations farther north. This is suggested by the frequency of records that have come to light, provided by independent observers such as the half-dozen or so recent records alone in the Rhandirmwyn - Tywi Forest area (5574). Attention has also been drawn to some older occurrences of the marten in the same general area, and this southerly population is presumed to represent a survival of animals from an earlier era, rather than recent re-colonisation, though the marten's ability for long-distance wandering is readily acknowledged. A map showing the known distribution of the marten in mid and south-west Wales is given (fig. 1).

It should be emphasized that this very preliminary summary is essentially a hasty, desk-top survey, with very inadequate research into potential older sources and virtually no field work. Many records could be forthcoming if the rural population - farmers and foresters - are carefully questioned about the species, perhaps using illustrations of mustelids and questions in a non-biased fashion, though many of these "records" will not be able to be consigned to the "definite" class. It would be productive to emulate the excellent initiative of Duncan Brown (1989) in north Wales and to make the marten the subject of a survey at one of the mid or south Wales Eisteddfodau.

I strongly suspect the possibility of the marten's survival in the upland (and now often moderately afforested) parts of Glamorgan and recent records suggest that it also occurs in Radnorshire. In Glamorgan, the Neath Valley - which produced records earlier this century - must now look much improved for martens with many extensive conifer plantations and an abundance of old oak woodland and younger regenerating birch-oak woods. Again, a survey amongst foresters (perhaps co-ordinated with the Forestry Enterprise) or in the local popular press may give indications of its true present status. A problem encountered was that local naturalists are simply not usually aware of its possible presence, a situation that is akin to that pertaining to the goshawk in Wales only a few years ago; a bird that has now been shown by careful survey to be quite widespread in Wales. George Bolam, the Northumberland naturalist, who settled in Meirionnydd at the beginning of this century wrote, "So retiring, and unobtrusive in its habits is a Marten, that one or two may easily inhabit a wood, or range of rocks, for some time without their presence being discovered even by a keeper. They might, indeed, escape detection altogether, did snow never fall, for it is rarely that one is taken in a baited trap casually set...that often leads to the undoing of the craftiest animal." Bolam also gives a local Welsh proverb "Cyfrwys fel y bele" - "as cunning as a marten", (Bolam, 1913).

It is quite conceivable that the marten can exist in an area unknown to local naturalists and those records that come to their attention perhaps tend to be, as suggested earlier, dismissed as of wanderers from recognized populations in north Wales (Langley & Yalden, 1977) or are simply thought to be erroneous. Indeed, there may be a form of "credibility inertia" to be overcome with some naturalists (as John Messenger experienced when he first announced the existence of the serotine bat in mid Wales). Apart from the core of records from trusted informants, there are simply too many reports from casual sources (inyariably unprompted and unknown to each other) often in the same areas (for example, NE Carets. or N. Central Carms.) to be coincidental or always incorrect. It has also been suggested that marten records in the southern half of Wales represent animals released by "animal liberationists", but if this were so, then records would be more widely scattered in an "ad hoc" basis and not clustered in certain areas. The survival of the marten in north Wales is generally not questioned, so why the great reluctance to accept a population further south - as a long term survival or as recolonisation from the north? After all, there has been substantial increase in the area of habitat available with the maturation of the extensive conifer forests and there has been a sharp decline in keepering which, in Wales, never attained an intensity comparable to Scotland and England. The writer of this present rough summary would welcome any additional records of the marten in south or mid Wales; likewise, he would welcome his attention being drawn to any literature sources, old or new. Most importantly, it is recommended that there is a need for a structured and formal survey of certain areas in Mid and South Wales (which were not covered by the 1980-82 velander survey), to provide a more physical proof of the marten's presence. In Scotland, areas with established marten populations yield five to ten droppings per km. of forest track and one road casualty per ten miles of "A" road per year (Balharry, 1992). However, the amount of droppings found along tracks may yary considerably according to time of year (Velander, 1982). The A483 NE of Cynghordy or the A40 along the Gwydderig are perhaps candidate routes for the discovery of marten corpses. Only then will we be able to portray a truer picture of the status of what Bill Condry has aptly called "Wales' most elusive animal", in the southern half of that country.

Acknowledgements

The writer would like to thank the following, all of who have provided data or helped in other ways: H.R. Arnold, J.D.S. Birks, D. Brown, A.O. Chater, W.M. Condry, D. Dayies, R.H. Davies, J.E. Davis, P.E. Davis, P. Dewey, A. Enoch, A.P. Fowles, P.M. Howlett, G. Hutchinson, B. Long, A. Lucas, N.R. Matthew, J. Messenger, A.R. Pickup, D.H.V. Roberts, S. Seery, N.R. Thomas, John Westlake, P.G. Woods; with particular thanks to Arthur Chater and Nick Thomas. David Balharry, Johnny Birks and George Hutchinson kindly commented on the draft text.

References/Bibliography

Anon. (1910). Pine marten in South Wales. The Field 115:1112

Balharry, L. (1992). Pine Martens in Scotland. British Wildlife 4, No1:35-41

Balharry, R. (1991). in Wildlife Reports, British Wildlife Magazine 3 No2: 106-7.

Barker, T.W. (1905). Handbook to the Natural History of Carmarthenshire

W. Spurrel 6 Son, Carmarthen.

Bolam, C. (1913). Wildlife in Wales: 333-346. Frank Palmer, London.

Brown, D. (1989). Bele'r Coed-Arolwg 1987, Y Canlyniadau.

Cyngor Gwarchod Natur (NCC) Rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru.

Condry, W.M. (1959). In Cambrian forests (Ed. H.L.Edlin). Forestry Commission Guide, H.M.S.O. London: 68.

Conran, A. (1967). The Penguin book of Welsh verse. Penguin books, London.

Forrest, H.E. (undated). The Marten in England and Wales. (Typed notes in Dept. of Zoology, NMW files).

Harting, J.E. (1891). The British Marten. The Zoologist. 15:401-409 (1893). [Notes on the Pine Marten) The Zoologist, 17:161-163

Jarman, A.O.H. (1976). "The later Cynfeirdd". In: A Guide to Welsh literature. (Ed. A.O.H. Jarman 6 G.W. Hughes) 1, 101-2

Jones, F. (1987). Historic Carmarthenshire Homes and their Families. Carms. Antiq. Soc. s Dyfed County Council: pp81-82

Langley, P.J.W. 6 Yalden, D.W. (1977). The decline of the rarer carnivores in Great Britain during the nineteenth century. In: The Mammal Review, 7, 95-116

Mallison, J. (1978). The Shadow of Extinction: Europe's Threatened Wild Mammals. Macmillan, London: 99-106

Matheson, C. (1932). Changes in the Fauna of Wales within Historic Times. Nat. Mus. Wales, Cardiff: 12-13

Matheson, C. (1962). Notes on the Mammals of Cardiganshire. Ceredigion 4(3):231-243

Panting, P.J. (1951). Mammal Notes. In: Nature in Wales, 7(No4):178

Panting, P.J. (1971). Mammal Notes. In: Nature in Wales, 12 (No3): 182.

Panting, P.J. (1972). Mammal Notes. In: Nature in Wales, 13 (Nol): 55-56.

Philips E.C. (1887). Marten cat in Breconshire. The Zoologist p190 " " " " (1907). List of the Mammals of Breconshire.

Philips E.C. (1909). Trans. Cardiff Nats. Soc. 42; 91-92

Phillips, T.A. (Ed) (1926). The Breconshire Border. pp 131-133. Published by D.J. Morgan, Talgarth.

Velander, K.A. (1983). Pine Marten survey of Scotland, England and Wales, 1980-2. The Vincent Wildlife Trust, London.

Williams, 0. (1959). Presenting Welsh Poetry. Faber 6 Faber, London.

Wright, F.S. (1916). In: The Zoologist p326.

Apologies to readers for some of the above references being incompletely cited, some details of which are not, at the time of writing, available to the author.

Appendix 1

The Pine Marten in Early Welsh Literature

It has been well-known that the 7th Century Welsh cradle-song "Pais Dinogad" or "Dinogad's Smock" contains a reference to the marten, written below in an earlier Welsh orthographic style:-

"Peis dinogat e vreith vreith o grwyn balaot ban wreith"

and in Conran's translation (Conran, 1967):-

'Dinogad's smock is pied, pied made it out of marten hide"

whereas Williams (1959) gives it as:-

"Dinogad's speckled petticoat

was made of skins of speckled stoat"

Obviously there is use of "poetic licence" (to rhyme with petticoat) in this latter translation, for "marten" has long been clearly distinguished in the Welsh language from "stoat" e.g. in "Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda", marten is "beleu" whilst stoat is "carlwnc".

This early reference to the marten is also included in the NCC booklet "Bele'r Coed" by Duncan Brown (1987), in the section "Yr oes o'r blaen". Unfortunately, there are a few errors in this small part of an otherwise recommended and very interesting summary of the marten's status in north Wales. The poem "Pais Dinogad" is given as of 8th Century origin, whereas authoritative opinion dates it as 7th Century, and it is asserted that "Pais Dinogad" was written about the home area of Dinogad's family in modern day Cumbria. The text of "Pais Dinogad" is - perhaps surprisingly considering its gentle content - contained in the heroic poem "Y Gododdin" which itself takes its name from the early British (Welsh) kingdom of Gododdin which lay between the other Celtic kingdoms of Strathclyde and Rheged in the west and the early Saxon kingdom of Bernicia (Northumberland) to the south-east; the capital of the Gododdin was at "Caer Eiddyn" (modern Welsh "Caer Edin", Edinburgh). It does not therefore, refer to Cumbria. Of further interest is the referral in this poem to "fish from Derwent waterfall", which may allow us to more finely locate the home of the family in the poem. There are several River Derwents in the northern part of Britain but Kenneth Jackson, whose knowledge of this period is unrivalled, suggests (in Jarman, 1976) that "the Derwent in County Durham as being in Gododdin territory". Thus, the early reference to the marten, in the British Isles at least, is from some of the earliest Welsh literature which originated in southern Scotland/north-east England.

Incidentally, there are two other factual errors in the NCC booklet: the Laws of Hywel Dda date from the 10th Century (not 11th) and the marten pelt was valued at 24 pence, not 2B pence as stated.

Appendix 2

Records Listed By Vice-County, Mentioned In Text

MONMOUTH, VC35 (N.B. the Monmouth (Gwent) records are not discussed in main text) "two or three trapped in the neighbourhood of Pontypool (5N207) about 1866". T.W. Proger, reported in NMW files. One killed at Grosmont (S040-24-), 1873. H.E. Forrest in "The Marten in England and Wales", "reported from the Chepstow district", Feb 1967 - letter from Colin Matheson (NMW) to J.L. Thomas, Forestry Commission.

GLAMORGAN, vc41

Ynysgerwyn 5578-99

Clyne Woods SS60-91

Neath Valley SN8-0

Glanbran SS71-99- per L.W. Dillwyn, pre 1848.

1910 per P. Spicer 6 Sons.

BRECONSHIRE, vc42

1. Nant Gwyllt, Merthyr Cynog SN98-37-, c.1865 per J.H. Salter

2. Near Brecon 500-3- Sept 1886 per E. Cambridge Philips.

3. large woods of Llangoed S0115400 19th Century" "

4. Henallt 50064480 1872

5. Glyn Collwn 50078171 Nov 1950 Nat. Mus. Wales.

6. Few miles N. of Brecon SO0-3- 1951 '• ••

7. on the side of the Eppynt c.SN93 1963 '•

8. Nant-y-Stalwn SN80-57- 1971 C. Bird.

9. Craig Nant-y-ffleiddast SN805545 May 1973 J.E. S H. Davis.

10. LLanfihangel Nant Bran NW of Brecon SN94-34- 1983 P.G.H. Evans.

11. Goytre Wood S0005540 21 Aug 1992 R. Bohan

RADNORSHIRE, vc43

Stanage 5O33-72- c.1840 rep. J.W. Lloyd

Harpton Court 5020-59- c.1862

Clyro Court S021-43- c.1862

near Gladestry SO220540, Sept 1989 per. J. Messenger

Cwmbach near Rhayader SN950700 Aug 1990

CARMARTHENSHIRE, vc44

Cefn between Llandovery and Llanwrtyd, SN83-38- c.1867

near Kidwelly 5N40, pre-1900 (perhaps the Glyn Abbey SN4407 specimens)

Halfway Carms/Brecs SN83 c.1950

Paxton's Tower SN541191 1965

near Llanddowror SN23-14-, c.1969

near Llanmiloe House, Pendine SN248088 c.1969

between Cwrt-y-Cadno and Rhandirmwyn SN71-46-7 Oct 1971 (corpse) 8. site as above c.1965-71, one seen alive

Brunant SN67-41-, 1970's

One, near Rhandirmwyn SN74, 1984

Brynteg SN688435, post-1980

Trawscoed (Brechfa-Abergorlech Forest) SN56-37 1977

Crug-las near Bethlehem SN688238, 1982

"near Llandovery" SN73, "post 1980"

near Carreg Cennen House, Trapp SN65-19- "post 1980"

Mynydd Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn, May 1992

5,6,11,14 & 15 need supplementary evidence, and there are other less definite records -though by no means necessarily false - not included on this list eg sightings by local residents in the Brechfa - Abergorlech area, which are plausible.

CARDIGAN (CEREDIGION) vc46

Hafod, near Devil's Bridge SN77, c.1878.

reported at Ty Issa SN607763, c.1888 per J.H. Salter

one trapped at Trawscoed (Crosswood) SN67-74-, 1915.

several local records suggested presence in county (see main text), 1961.

Hafod SN755727 c.1970, one caught alive by Jim Jones.

Llanafan SN69-72- c.1970, sight records and heard calling L.A. Paskin.

Devil's Bridge SN73-77- 1968-70, J.E. Davies. B. Nant-y-Moch 5N73-88- autumn 1989, Tony Phelps. 9. Ynys-hir RSPB Reserve SN68-96- 27.12.1991, Barry Long.

PEMBS vc45

1. Pencaer peninsula SM90-40- pre-1960, per.P.J. Panting.