A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



East Haddon Church, the roof of which 

 forms the abode of a large colony. 



5. Pipistrelle or Common Bat. Pipiitrellui 



pipistrellus, Schreber. 



Bell — Scotophilui pipistrcllus. 

 This is universally distributed, and several 

 specimens have been brought to me from 

 different parts of the county. 



6. Natterer's Bat. Myotis nattereri, Kuhl. 



Bell — Vespert'iiio nattereri. 

 The late Lord Lilford remarks in the Zoo- 

 logist for February, 1887, that this species is 



' by no means uncommon in the neighbour- 

 hood of Lilford.' 



7. Daubenton's Bat. Myoth daubentoni, Leis- 



ler. 



Bell — yespertilio daubentonit. 

 Bell records this from Milton Park, near 

 Peterborough. 



8. Whiskered Bat. Myoth mystacinus, Leis- 



ler. 



Bell — VespertUio mystacinus. 

 This is a local bat, and the only records 

 for the county that I know of are by Jenyns * 

 and by Lord Lilford.* 



INSECTIVORA 



9. Hedgehog. Erinaceus europieus, Linn. 



This is a common animal in the county, 

 though Morton does not mention it. 



10. Mole. Talpa europita^ Linn. 



Morton ' says : ' The mole too, which, as 

 it is claw-footed, we may admit into this 

 class, has been found of a snow-white in a 

 ditch at Finshed.' Within the last few years 

 orange-coloured specimens have occurred at 

 Billing Lings, and a piebald one near Pres- 

 ton Deanery. 



11. Common Shrew. Sorex araneuSy Linn. 



This species is as common throughout the 

 county as it is elsewhere, and forms the chief 

 food of owls. 



12. Pigmy Shrew. Sorex minutus, Pallas. 



Bell — Sorex pygmaus. 

 This is the smallest British quadruped, and, 

 with the exception of a still smaller shrew, 

 the smallest belonging to Europe. I have 

 never caught the little creature itself, but I 

 have found its skull in owls' pellets from 

 Weekley Hall Wood, Grendon Park and 

 Pipwell Abbey, which are portions of the 

 old Rockingham Forest. 



13. Water Shrew. Neomys fodiem, Pallas. 



Bell — Crossopus fodiens. 

 This pretty little animal is far from un- 

 common. I have found dead specimens in 

 various parts of the county, and also several 

 skulls in owls' pellets. 



CARNIVORA 



14. Wild Cat. Felii catusy Linn. 



Though the wild cat has long disappeared 

 from this part of England, we have the fol- 

 lowing interesting note by Morton : ' Many 

 Years ago we had the Wild Cats in our North- 

 amptonshire Woods. These from their way 

 of living, which is catching Birds, on which 

 chiefly they feed, are here called Birders. 

 The Wild Cat, that however of Whittlewood 

 Forest, is generally of a larger Size, and has a 

 tail many Degrees bigger than the Tame. The 

 Wild Cats differ also in Colour from the com- 

 mon House-Cats. In their Wawling Noise, and 

 other Properties, they agree with them, but 

 their Skins seem to be tann'd, as it were, with 

 the Sun and Weather they are so frequently 

 expos'd to. I mean in respect of the Colour, 

 which for the main is a dusky Red or Yellow, 

 and that in all of them : whereas in the Tame 



* Morton, The Natural History of Northampton- 

 shire (171 2), p. 445, par. 76. 



ones it is various and uncertain. The She 

 Cats at Finshed, and the like Lone-Houses do 

 sometimes wander into the Neighbouring 

 Woods and are gibb'd by the Wild ones 

 there. 'Tis a very difficult matter to tame 

 the Wild Wood Cats, tho taken never so 

 young into the House.' 



15. Fox. Vulpci vulpeSy Linn. 



Bell — Vulpes vulgaris. 



The abundance of foxes in the county is 

 too well known to require remark here, but a 

 note from Morton may be interesting if not 

 credited : ' The Fox. A Bitch-Fox that had 

 been brought up tame at the Worshipful Ch. 

 Tryon's of Bulwick, Esq., was wont to sport 

 and play amongst the Dogs of his Pack, who 

 though true Fox-hunters, treated her like one 

 of their own Kind ; she was lin'd by one of 



* Bell, British Quadrupeds, 2 edit., p. (>■]. 

 ' Harting, Zoologist, 1888, p. 163. 



130 



