YORKSHIRE PHYSICAL ASPECT. xix 



in the Don valley, and the fine parks about Barnsley and Wake- 

 field, still afford a shelter to woodland species of birds, some of 

 considerable interest such as the nightingale and the pied fly- 

 catcher though the inimical influence of smoke has long told 

 upon the trees. The district is also interesting as within it is 

 situated Walton Park the sylvan domain wherein for many years 

 Charles Waterton extended complete protection to living things of 

 all kinds. Here flourished a famous heronry, which after the 

 death of Mr. Waterton was disturbed, and finally dispersed. But 

 the continued presence of so dense a population and the ever- 

 increasing demands of modern commerce are gradually breaking 

 up and destroying what suitable habitats the district still 

 possesses, hastening the process of extinction which is continually 

 going on, and thus diminishing a fauna which was never at any 

 time a very rich one. 



The Central Plain, including under this name not only 

 the entire vale of York, but also the lowlands of Cleveland and 

 the Tees valley, is a broad fertile tract of agricultural land, for 

 the most part below 300 feet in elevation, traversed by the middle 

 and lower portions of most of the Yorkshire rivers, and stretching 

 from the banks of the Tees to the borders of Nottinghamshire. 

 Its light and sandy soils support ordinary lowland and woodland 

 types of vegetation, the fauna partaking of the same character. 



In former times much of the surface was frequented by the 

 large wild animals, now classed amongst the extinct forms, and in 

 particular the famous forest of Galtres, which stretched for many 

 miles in extent from beneath the very walls of York, was inhabited 

 by various beasts of chase, as wolves and red deer, and particu- 

 larly famed as a harbour of wild boars. Parts of the district still 

 remain to some extent in their pristine condition ; and such places 

 as Pilmoor, and Strensall and Riccall Commons the breeding 

 places of the redshank, teal, snipe, blackheaded gull, &c., 

 and some of them formerly of the ruff and other birds with 

 some boggy carrs and wet heaths of the North and East Ridings, 

 and Askham Bog, still display their primitive characteristics. In 

 the north-west the sylvan recesses of Hackfall still harbour the 



