MAMMALS 



The varied surface of the county of Durham offers, or has 

 offered in the past, congenial haunts for most of the British mammals. 

 In the western part of the county the extensive moorlands and the 

 secluded and wooded valleys have served as retreats for some of the 

 wilder species ; and though the coal mining and other industries have 

 had, from the naturalist's point of view, an unfavourable influence on the 

 eastern part, this has not been the case to nearly the extent that might 

 have been expected. The coast line also enriches the fauna by the 

 addition of a number of marine mammals, whilst the operations in caves 

 and bogs, and in the dredging of the larger rivers, have brought to light 

 many interesting evidences of the former presence of animals which have 

 long since disappeared from the district. The paucity of records for the 

 county of Durham in comparison with those for many other counties is 

 regrettable. An excellent summary of the known facts relating to the 

 mammal fauna up to the year 1863 is given in the catalogue by Messrs. 

 Mennell and Perkins 1 ; but since that time very little systematic observa- 

 tion has apparently been attempted. An especially interesting field for 

 investigation is presented by the local bats, to which hardly any critical 

 attention has been paid for many years. A few points regarding particular 

 animals are worthy of special note. The wild cat (Fe/is catus) appears to 

 have survived in the county until about fifty years ago ; the pine marten 

 (Mustela martes) and polecat (Putorius putorius) have only been exterminated 

 within comparatively few years, and recent occurrences in the neighbour- 

 ing counties even render it not altogether improbable that one or both 

 may yet stray within the borders again ; the old English black rat is 

 almost certainly still in existence in one or two towns within the county. 

 In reference to the cetaceans, it is a curious fact that while I am only able 

 to record five species for this county, at least double the number have been 

 obtained on the coast between the Tyne and the Tweed. 



CHEIROPTERA 



1 . Long-eared Bat. Plecotus auritus, Linn. in the southern part of the county. It is 

 This bat is abundant in the county, and is plentiful in places a little south of the Tees, 



perhaps the commonest species. and * have the following records for the county 



itself : Mr. H. G. Stobart has shot it at Croft ; 



2. Great or White s Bat (Noctule). P lfu - Mr> j Greenwel i describes a bat, evidently of 



trellm noctula, Schreber. this spedeS) which he frequendy sees at Es _ 



~Bz\\ScotophiIiis noctula. White Vespertine combe ; in the Naturalist for 1 886, Mr. W. D. 



altivolans. Roebuck records the taking of twenty-five 



I believe this fine species is not uncommon noctules from an oak near Barnard Castle ; and 



1 Trans. TytttsiJe Naturalists' Field Clul, vi. 

 192 



