MAMMALS 



was to be found up to about the year 1840 in 

 Castle Eden Dene, by no means one of the 

 most secluded parts of the county, renders it 

 probable that in the more remote and unculti- 

 vated parts the wild cat was not exterminated 

 until at least the middle of the last century. 

 It is rather remarkable that no remains of this 

 animal appear to have been noticed in any of 

 the limestone caves that have been explored, 

 though bones of the wolf, badger, and even of 

 the marten, are not scarce. 



13- 



Fox. Fulpes vulpes^ Linn. 



Bell — Fulpes vulgaris. 



Foxes are plentiful in almost all parts of the 

 county. 



14. Pine Marten. Mustela marteSy Linn. 

 Bell — Martes abietum. 



At the time when Mennell and Perkins 

 were compiling their catalogue (1863) they 

 were able to say of the pine marten that 

 * although the animal cannot be called common, 

 it is widely distributed over both counties.' It 

 is difficult to imagine that the marten was not 

 somewhat scarcer at that date than the word- 

 ing of this statement might be taken to imply, 

 though its final extermination, due largely to 

 the increased use of steel traps, probably took 

 place very rapidly. The last known capture 

 in this county was on 31 May, 1882, at 

 Hoppyland, a few miles west of Bishop 

 Auckland ; it is recorded {Zoologist, 1882) by 

 Mr.T. H. Nelson, who also refers to the taking 

 of a nest with three young at the same place 

 thirty-three years previously. It is an interest- 

 ing fact that from among the remains of 

 human and other occupants discovered in a 

 cave near the coast at Whitburn, bones of the 

 marten were identified by the late Mr. John 

 Hancock [Nat. Hist. Trans. Nortbumb. and 

 Durham, vii.). 



15. Polecat. Putorius putorius, h'mn. 

 Bell — Mustela putorius. 



From the information I have been able to 

 obtain, it would ajipcar that the polecat has 

 been exterminated in the county only within 

 the last ten or twelve years. Mr. J. Culling- 

 ford had several before that time, but has had 

 none since ; and Mr. VV. Walton reports two 

 killed near Middlctoii-in-Tccsdale about fifteen 

 years ago, one being still in his possession. 

 Mr. G. E. Crawhall tells me that up to forty 

 years ago polecats were not infrequently killed 

 in Weardale, but that he has heard of none 

 tiiere in more recent years. He remembers 

 a female and litter of young being caught 

 near Wolsingham. Mcnncll and Perkins de- 

 scribe it (1863) as * still plentiful in both our 



counties ' ; and the following is also quoted 

 from their catalogue : ' The Rev. G. C. Abbes 

 tells us that a very fine polecat visited his 

 garden at Cleadon a few years ago, and was 

 so bold and fearless that it came close to him 

 when gardening, and suflFered him to push it 

 back with his rake when it interfered with his 

 work.' 



16. Common Stoat. Putorius ermineus, 



Linn. 



Bell — Mustela erminea. 



The stoat is abundant in nearly all parts 

 of the district. Examples in the white winter 

 coat and in all stages of approach to it are 

 frequently killed or seen. 



17. Weasel. Putorius nivalis, l^mn. 



Bell — Mustela vulgaris. 



As common here as elsewhere. An albino 

 example from upper Teesdale is reported by 

 Mr. W. Walton. 



Badger. 

 Bell- 



Meles meles. Linn 



-Meles taxus. 



The badger has held its ground successfully 

 in the county of Durham. It is fairly plentiful 

 in the more secluded western halfof the county, 

 and also inhabits some of the quieter woodlands 

 of the eastern half. The Rev. Canon Tristram 

 has given me some interesting information 

 regarding the badgers in Castle Eden Dene. 

 They were common there at one time, but dis- 

 appeared for some years ; for the last five 01 

 six years, however, several pairs have been 

 known to be in the dene. A female with a 

 litter of young was once kept there in confine- 

 ment, living on good terms both with her 

 captors and with the pigs. Canon Tristram 

 tells me,' the local name of the badger is " pate," 

 and a small subsidiary glen is known as the 

 " Pate-priest's Dene," from a French refugee 

 priest who lived a hermit life 110 years ago 

 in the glen, and was much given to badger 

 hunting.' A large number of bones of the 

 badger were found in the Whitburn cave. 

 The late Richard Howse in mentioning this 

 fact {Nat. Hist. Tram, vii.) states that the 

 badger ' has now disappeared from our locality' 

 and only survives in some of the southern 

 counties, an opinion which seems to have been 

 general at the time (1878). 



19. Otter. Lutra lutra, Linn. 



Bell — Lutra vulgaris. 



Otters arc still plentiful on the streams and 

 rivers of the county and frciiucntly descend 

 to the neighbourhood of the towns. They 

 are occasionally seen near the bridges at Durham 

 (J. Cullingford), and individuals have been 



194 



