The Zoologist — September, 1871. 2751 



and an European skin in his ' Birds of Britain.' In my quotation 

 I have omitted this reference to specimens, because of so little 

 interest to my readers, but this will be none the less acceptable to 

 the purchaser of the ' Birds of Europe.' 



Edward Newman. 



Mammalia and Reptilia of Norfolk. 

 By Thomas Southwell.* 



In a highly-cultivated county like Norfolk, where those animals 

 not actually domesticated, or preserved by the sportsman, are 

 regarded as " vermin" and ruthlessly destroyed whenever oppor- 

 tunity occurs, it is not to be expected that a great number of 

 species will be found ; but even the quiet which is maintained in 

 our woods and coverts during the breeding season is favourable to 

 the increase of some species, and the large tracts of reed-beds in 

 the " Broad Districts," and on the margins of our sluggish rivers, 

 afford protection and abundance of food for others, particularly for 

 the otter, which is perhaps more frequent than, from its retiring 

 habits and stealthy movements, is generally supposed. There are two 

 families, however, which are particularly worthy of attention, viz. the 

 Cheiroptera and Cetacea : of the former fifteen species are described 

 as British by Bell, but we are only able to record five as occurring 

 in this count}'. Our extended coast line, the most easterly seaboard 

 of the island, has produced only eight well-authenticated species of 

 the Cetacea, out of a total of thirty described as British by Dr.Gray; 

 and, although the majority of the species are of great rarity, it is 

 probable the number recorded as belonging to Norfolk might be 

 increased, and light thrown upon this interesting but obscure order, 

 were those which occasionally come on shore, or get entangled in 

 the shallows off our coast, more carefully examined. 



The reptiles do not receive the attention to which their great 

 beauty and interesting habits entitle them : there is also the charm 

 of novelty, and the hope of discovering something before unknown, 

 with regard to their economy, to act as an incentive. In the 

 aquarium and fern-case they may readily be studied and soon 



* Read before the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, and printed in their 

 • Transactions,' p. 71. I inadvertently omitted to say that Mr. Gurney's paper 

 (S. S. 2712) appeared in the same interesting work. 



