72 The Mammalia of Cambridgeshire 



(Synotus barbastellus) taken at Bottisham on one occasion ; 

 Natterer's Bat (Myotis nattereri), a scarce but resident species, 

 and the Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus), which, like the 

 Barbastelle, owes its place in the county list to a solitary 

 example. Three species, the Noctule (Pterygistes noctula), 

 the Pipistrelle (Myotis pipistrellus), and Daubenton's Bat 

 (Myotis daubentoni) may be considered common and abun- 

 dant, especially the first two ; the last named, however, may 

 often be seen skimming low over the river near the town, but 

 does not appear to frequent the open fen country. 



Of the Insectivora, all the British species occur in tolerable 

 abundance ; as might be expected, the Water Shrew (Neomys 

 fodiens) is numerous, and, judging from the castings of Owls 

 and Kestrels, the Pigmy Shrew (Sorex minutus) is by no means 

 rare in the Fens. 



Among the Garni vora we have to note the entire absence 

 of the Wild Cat (Felis catus) ; at the present day it would 

 naturally not be expected to occur, but there are no records of 

 any fossil or sub-fossil remains to show its previous occurrence 

 in the neighbourhood in bygone days. The Badger (Meles meles) 

 can only be considered as a very occasional wanderer, though 

 possibly still breeding near Wimpole. The Polecat (Mustela 

 putorius) is not very uncommon, especially in the Fen district 

 and northern half of the county, where one or two examples 

 are killed yearly ; the aquatic habits of this species have 

 doubtless enabled it to find a suitable home in the Fenland, 

 where its congener, the Marten, seems to have entirely died 

 out. The only record of this last-named species is noted by 

 Jenyns, who says that one was killed at Caxton in 1844, and 

 according to the same author it used formerly to occur in 

 Madingley Woods. At a still earlier date, however, it was 

 probably to be found throughout the county, a subfossil skull 

 having been taken in Burwell Fen. 



The remaining members of this order are by no means rare : 

 the Fox is scarcer in the open Fenland, to which it is apparently 

 only a straggler, and the Otter is chiefly to be found in the 



