YORKSHIRE—PHYSICAL ASPECT. xxi 
The high lands of Cleveland present bold escarpments towards 
the Tees valley and the central plain, and a lofty line of cliffs 
towards the sea, reaching 680 feet in elevation at Boulby. The 
Howardian hills, below 520 feet in elevation, which separate the 
vale of Pickering from the central plain, must be considered as 
a southern spur or continuation of the Hambleton hills, as the 
western escarpment of the Cleveland range is called. 
The Cleveland fauna is highly interesting. The badger is 
more frequent here than elsewhere in the county, breeding in 
several localities; there is reason to believe that the marten still 
exists in small numbers in Eskdale, and the last Yorkshire wild 
cat is known to have been killed on the Hambleton moors about 
forty years ago. The forest of Pickering once harboured the roe 
deer, this district being the only part of Yorkshire in which this 
animal is actually known to have existed ina wild state. The raven 
was formerly common in the district, and a pair are even now 
observed in the vicinity of the coast. This region was also the 
resort of the hen harrier until 1850, to which date a few pairs 
nested annually. The short-eared owl has also on several occa- 
sions bred on the moors, and until quite recently a pair of pere- 
grines nested annually. On the moors the twite breeds sparingly, 
and the curlew and golden plover not uncommonly. The district 
has on various occasions been visited by rare stragglers, such as 
the pine grosbeak and Lapland bunting; while Tengmalm’s owl 
has occurred no less than three times. 
Vale of Pickering.—South of the Cleveland hills is a small 
tract of low-lying cultivated land, below a hundred feet in eleva- 
tion, possessing a rich soil, and including a considerable extent of 
carrs and low marsh-land. This district, drained by the Derwent 
and Rye, is shut in on all sides by high lands, and was, in all pro- 
bability, formerly a lake, the outlet for its drainage even now being 
at times inadequate, and in rainy seasons the lower portions are 
liable to be flooded for miles in extent. The chief zoological 
interest of this small district is in the rich and varied fish-fauna 
inhabiting the streams which converge at Malton—the barbel 
being probably the only one deficient. The Rye is famed for its 
grayling and trout. 
