124 
PHE 
PROTECTION OF WILD LIFE IN YORKSHIRE. 
R. FORTUNE, F.Z.S. 
(Continued from page 95). 
The most recent addition to the mammalian fauna is that of 
the N. American or Grey Squirrel, an animal! not quite as hand- 
some as our native squirrel. He has the reputation for being 
very destructive, not only to trees but to birds, their eggs and 
young. On Mr. St. Quintin’s estate where they were first 
introduced, and where they flourished, they have had to be 
destroyed, as they were causing so much damage amongst the 
trees on the estate. Many complaints have been made from 
various directions, and fears were openly expressed that they 
would soon spread over the land and clear out our native 
species, just as the Hanoverian Rat, as Waterton called him, 
dispersed our native Black Rat. These fears we learn are 
evidently groundless, from a curious fact that was revealed a 
couple of years ago. Enquiries were made at the Zoo from a 
certain estate to see 1f they could supply them with some 
female Grey Squirrels, as all they caught upon their own place 
were males. In the Zoo and in Regents Park there are great 
numbers at liberty, and they have become very tame. A 
quantity were caught up in the hope of supplying the required 
females, but strange to relate, all that were caught proved to 
be males, and the same state of things seems to prevail in other 
parts. It appears as if nature will regulate.the supply and 
prevent their numbers getting to be excessive. In Regents 
Park where they are very tame, they were at one time mysteri- 
ously disappearing. Eventually it was found that one of the 
unspeakable Germans living in town, was trapping them and 
selling them. 
Before passing on to a consideration of the birds, I should 
like to say a good word for two small animals, almost univers- 
ally persecuted. The Stoat if kept within bounds is a most 
useful little animal, preying to a large extent on small animais 
and upon the Brown Rat in particular. . This latter is the 
creature which does more harm to the game preserver than all 
his other so-called enemies put together. We all know how 
hedgerows which have hitherto been infested by rats, are 
suddenly evacuated by the whole tribe, not a rat left in the 
neighbourhood. This sudden exodus is the result of a visit 
of a stoat or party of stoats, they are deadly enemies of the 
Rat and will not leave the hedgerow while there is a rat living 
there. The little Weasel preys principally upon the mice, 
Naturalist, 
