The decline of the rarer carnivores in Great Britain during the nineteenth century

ABSTRACT marten (Martes martes) and Wild cat (Felis silvestris) in Great Britain during the nineteenth century is surveyed, and a series of maps to illustrate the declines is presented. These highlight the different patterns of decline in the three species, and draw attention to the parallels in certain birds of prey. The declines do not match the decline in woodland, which was largely completed before they began. They do coincide with the development of the sporting estate, and moreover the differences between the species can partly be explained by differences in persecution.