12 Coward, Some Notes on the Mammals of Lundy. 



island is about three miles long and twelve from the 

 coast of Devonshire, consisting mainly of granite with a 

 little of the Devonian formation, and the presence here of 

 peculiar insects can only be due to isolation with special 

 conditions, and immunity from enemies or competing 

 forms." 



It would be unwise, considering how slight is our 

 knowledge of the mammalian fauna, to make definite 

 statements, but if it can be proved that the Shrew of 

 Lundy is the Lesser and not the Common Shrew and 

 that there are no Voles, we shall, coupling this fact with 

 its peculiar Coleoptera, conclude that the island has been 

 long isolated. We naturally think of the conditions in 

 Ireland and the Isle of Man, where the Lesser Shrew but 

 not the Common Shrew is found and where Voles are 

 absent, though on both these islands the sub-specific form 

 of the Stoat occurs and on Lundy no Mustelid is known. 

 The comparison of the sea-depth round these islands does 

 not throw much light on the subject. The depth between 

 Lundy and the English and Welsh coasts exceeds 20 

 fathoms, but between the Isle of Man and England it is 

 less than 20 fathoms, whilst between Man and Ireland 

 there is an ocean valley of over 50 fathoms. We cannot, 

 however, estimate the ancient depth of the Irish sea east 

 of Man, for it is silted, owing no doubt to the action of 

 the meeting tides which are held responsible for the coast 

 erosion in Morecambe Bay. Further researches in this 

 and other branches of natural history would probably 

 amply repay the worker, and add greatly to our knowledge 

 of this isolated and interesting island. 



