Page:VCH Lancaster 1.djvu/260

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE CHEIROPTERA 1. Lesser Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophus hippo- sUerus, Bechstein. Rare. 2. Long-eared Bat. Pkcotus auritus, Linn. Common. 3. Barbastelle. Barbastella harbastel/us, Schreber. Bell — Barbastellui daubentonii. Rare. 4. Great or White's Bat (Noctule). Pipistrellus noctula, Schreber. Bell — Scotophilus noctula ; White — VesperARo alti- volans ; Thomas — Pterypstes noctula. Now very scarce. Lancashire is, so far as known, its north-western limit. 5. Pipistrelle. Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Schreber. Bell — Scotophilus pipistrellus. Locally, Flittermouse. Not uncommon. 6. Natterer's or Reddish-grey Bat. Myotls nat- tereri, Leisler. Bell — Fespertifio nattereri. Not infrequent. A specimen was taken at Cheetham Hill, Manchester, Christmas 1892. 7. Daubenton's Bat. Myotls daubentonl, Leisler. Bell — Fespertifto daubentonii. Not uncommon in wooded localities. INSECTIVORA Hedgehog. Erlnaceus europaus, Linn. Locally, Urchin. Abundant. 1 1 . Pigmy Shrew. Sorex mlnutus, Linn. Bell — Sorex pygmaus. Occurring sparsely. 9. Mole. Talpa europaa, Linn. Locally, Moodiwart, Mowdywark, Want. 12. Abundant, occasionally albino. 10. Common Shrew. Sorex araneus, Linn. Quite common. CARNIVORA Water Shrew. Neomys fodlens, Pallas. Bell — Crossopus Jhdiens. Common. 13. Wild Cat. Fells catus, Linn. About a century ago the wild cat was to be seen on Cartmel Fell and other parts of Lake- land in considerable numbers, and it was, though extremely rare, still to be met with fifty years ago, but it is much to be feared that it is now extinct in Lancashire. 14 Fox. Fulpes vulpes, Linn. Bell — Vulpes vulgaris. Numerous. 15. Pine Marten. Mustela martes, Linn. Bell — Martes abietum. Locally, Fox Cork, Mart Cork, Mart, Sweetmart. Tolerably numerous in the uplands, Coniston Hills, Windermere and Furness districts. An old female specimen was caught in the Rusland Valley, Furness, in May 1902 (Archibald, Zoolo- gist, 1904, p. 455). 1 6. Polecat. Putorlus putorlus, Linn. Bell — Mustela putorlus. Locally, Foumart, Fitch et. Not nearly so common as the weasel, but more numerous formerly ; yet abundant in some localities. 17. Common Stoat. Putorlus ermineuSy Linn. Bell — Mustela erminea. Common. Very rarely seen in the white garb of winter except among the high Fells, and there often partially changed only. 18. Weasel. Putorlus nivalis^ Ann. Bell — Mustela vulgaris. Abundant. 19. Otter. Lutra lutra, Linn. Bell — Lutra vulgaris. Still abundant in many of the upland streams on which they are regularly hunted. Not in- frequently reported from the River Alt. 20. Badger. Meles meles, Linn. Bell — Meles taxus. Locally, Brock. Abundant about 150 to 200 years ago. Now rare. Five taken by Mr. Gillow's keepers on Warton Crag 7 or 8 years ago. 21. Common Seal. Phoca vltultna, Linn. Not uncommon in Morecambe Bay, in the Mer- sey and Ribble estuaries, and along our shores. 22. Harp Seal. Phoca grcenlandica, Fabricius. An occasional visitor to the estuary of the Mersey ; one was taken in Morecambe Bay on 23 January, 1868 (Turner, Journal Anat. and Phys. ix. 163). 23. Hooded Seal. Cystophora cristata, Erxl. A specimen was found alive on the Lancashire shore of the Mersey on 3 February, 1873 (Moore, Proc. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Llverp. xxvii. p. Ixxiii.). 24. Grey Seal. Halicharus grypus, Fabricius. Bell — Halichterus gryphus. A specimen was captured in 1861 in the Canada Dock, in Liverpool. 208